Natural
by AshGurl2897
Summary: Ben x Amy - set well into Amy's pregnancy. A story about the two of them, thoughts, words, experiences. A tribute to their love, and my hope for the outcome of their lives. Please R&R!
1. Natural

"What is it?" she asked quietly as she snuggled into the firm but gentle embrace of Ben's left arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head onto his shoulder.

This was the best part of Amy's normal routine. In the morning, there was schoolwork, taught by her mother. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, she attended classes at the clinic to prepare for the baby. Sometimes Ben went with her and other times he needed to stay at school to take a test or turn in a paper.

But regardless of all that, the one thing she always looked forward to was coming home at five o'clock to Ben's house and just sitting with him. It was their chance to be close to one another. They were both busy – separately – with school during the day, so this was their chance to be together. Dinner with the Sausage King was at six-thirty on the dot – and it was always delicious and fun. Ben and his Dad both had an amazing talent for making Amy laugh. When they were done eating, Ben would offer his hand to Amy, she would smile and lace her fingers through his. Then, he would lead her back upstairs to his room where they would stay until neither of them could stay awake. Now, with contented appetites, they found themselves propped up at the head of Ben's bed.

"It's been months and it still amazes me every time I see you, Amy" he said, tracing the whole contour of her protruding belly with his right hand. "There really is a little life growing inside of there. A baby," he finished. He swallowed and breathed in, causing her head to rise with his chest.

"I'm just glad you don't think I'm fat," she replied so quietly that he barely heard her. She was half joking, but Ben took her seriously.

"Of course I don't think you're fat. You're pregnant. You're carrying a precious life inside of you, and you're doing a good job keeping it safe. Amy, what you look like doesn't matter to me, and it never will. Yes, it's generally best to think someone is attractive outside at first, but eventually the inside takes over."

"You're so sweet," she replied. "I'm carrying a baby," she spoke aloud, as if declaring it made it somehow truer than it ever had been before. "Our baby," she corrected, tilting her head upward and slightly to the side, so that she could meet his eyes with hers. Ben said nothing, but looked a little sad. She tried to sit up straighter, which was a struggle indeed. Seeing her need, Ben immediately set about helping her up.

"You okay?" He asked after she was situated.

"Yes," she said taking a deep breath in. He blinked a few times and smiled genuinely. "Do you see this ring?" she asked, holding her hand aloft and fiddling with the band a bit.

"Yes," he replied. It was the ring he had proposed with. He'd picked it out, of course he recognized it.

"I know you doubt me when I say it's our baby," she replied. Ben looked away. "Look at me," she demanded, though not in a harsh tone. He did as she asked. He always did. "I know you doubt me, but this proves it. This ring," she said. "This ring is a symbol of your love for me. I get that. I cherish it. I know it's a lot to take on. Even if Ricky is this baby's biological father, you're the only father I want for my baby, Ben." As she finished her sentence, she reached for Ben's hand and placed it on her stomach again. She laid hers on top of his. Then she snuggled back into his embrace.

"You know, I didn't sleep a wink the night before I proposed to you. I was so afraid you wouldn't accept me. I knew it was a big step, but as soon as I realized you could be pregnant, it was clear to me what I had to do. I've never been so sure of anything in my life, Amy." He smiled and she smiled back. He leaned in towards her and placed a few soft, slow kisses on her lips. "I will never be able to express to you how much you mean to me. It's funny how your parents talk about me rescuing you," he began again. "It's funny, because the way I see it, you rescued me."

"Ben," she whispered softly.

"No, no. It's true. Before I met you, I was hopeless, wandering aimlessly through life, looking for all the wrong things and not actually living my life, Amy. Then you came to me and you lit up my world. You're the most beautiful, important thing in the world to me; you and the baby. I don't even dare to imagine where I'd be without you two right now." He replied. "As it is, I'll still never deserve you," he replied. "I'm broken, but I'm willing to give you all I have."

"Ben, come on. You're pretty much the most amazing boyfriend --" she corrected herself, "-- fiancé, a girl could ever ask for. We're all a little bit broken," she finished. Ben smiled in response. She was so kind.

"You saved me first, Amy. I was just repaying the favor."

With those words, she grasped his right hand with her left and stopped its nervous movement. In natural rhythm, their hands moved together into the familiar position, fingers laced together with Ben's thumb circling her soft skin. She closed what little space there was between them, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her as best he could and held on tightly. A small tear ran down Amy's face, and she tried to sniff it away before Ben noticed, but it was too late.

"Don't cry, Amy," he said. "I didn't mean to make you cry. Why are you crying?"

"Because, I love you," she whispered, with a perfect smile, though her eyelids were heavy with the strain of impending motherhood. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome. I love you, too Amy. I love you too." He loved her smile so much.

After sharing a brief moment of silence, Amy finally spoke. "I'm tired, Ben."

"Do you want me to get my driver? He'll take you home. I'll ride along with, of course."

She shook her head. "No, Ben. I am home," she said seriously. "Can I stay here for the night? My parents trust you now. Your Dad is right downstairs. Please. Will you hold me, Ben?" Her eyes were wide and sparkling as she asked him these things. There was nothing he wanted more than to hold her through the night.

He nodded.

He turned on his bedside lamp, shut off the overhead light and came back to her. She had laid down while he was gone, and so he situated himself behind her and allowed her to lay back into him. As he wrapped his arms around her, he noticed that the dim lamp light made her flowing amber hair glisten. Ben smiled as their breathing fell into synchronous rhythm. To him, she was perfect.

"Ben?" she asked, softly.

"Yes, Amy?"

"I'm sorry I almost left. I'm sorry I doubted you. I was so wrong."

"It's okay," he said kissing her cheek and finding her hand with his. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

"Yes. I love you, Ben. As silly as it sounds, I never want to leave. I never want to lose you. I want to stay right here, forever. Please don't let go," she pleaded.

"I won't, Amy. I promise."


	2. My Heart is Yours

Amy stirred as the sunrise of the next morning streamed in through the window and warmed her face. Immediately she felt Ben's presence, and she remembered where she was. In the delirium of sleep, she'd nearly forgotten. His hand was still on hers, left arm circling her waist and keeping her close to him. With some effort and a great deal of care, she turned onto her back to see if Ben was awake. If he was not, she hoped not to rouse him.

"Good morning," he replied sleepily as he felt her move. He opened his eyes slightly.

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you," she replied apologetically. "Good morning."

"You didn't wake me, Ames. I was already awake." He said, kissing the crown of her head and then stroking her hair gently. "You look so peaceful when you sleep. Did you know that? You're absolutely beautiful." She blushed and stretched. "Well, what do you say we make a day of it? It is Saturday, after all. No distractions, no schoolwork - just you, me and the baby." He asked, touching her stomach.

"I'd like that," she whispered. It had been ages since they'd gone on a real date outside of spending evenings in Ben's room. "I'll have to call my mom. I'm sure she'll already be wondering why I didn't come home last night."

"My dad probably already called her," Ben replied. "If not, she'll understand. She likes me."

"Of course she does. I was in very trustworthy hands," she replied with a smile, and kissed him.

"I'll go see if I can't rustle us up some breakfast," he said. "Will it be okay if I let go, now? Just for a few minutes," he asked sincerely.

She giggled at his thoughtfulness. "Yes, Ben. Thank you," she replied. "Good morning, little one," he added, kissing her stomach. He looked back up to Amy and she smiled, brushing his face with her hand. He pulled himself up, slowly moving away from her, but allowed his hand to linger on her as long as possible. Ben looked in the mirror, ruffled his hair a bit and then left the room, but she laid there another moment, not wanting the events of last night to fade too far away.

The alarm clock at the bedside read 8:55 a.m. as she reached for her cell phone. Her mother would surely be up by now.

--

"Morning, Amy!" exclaimed the always boisterous Leo Boykewich, as she entered the quaint, but fairly large kitchen. "Bit of an unexpected sleepover, huh? Did you and Ben sleep okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Thank you," she replied with a smile. Her clothes were rumpled and her hair was a bit messy, but luckily she kept some clothes at Ben's house in case such an occasion ever occurred.

"How about some sausage and eggs?" Ben asked with a chuckle. Amy turned to see Ben flipping eggs in a frying pan.

"You're cooking?" She asked a bit dismayed, leaning on the marble island, just across from him. "It smells delicious."

"Of course I'm cooking," Ben nodded with a smile. "You've had my wings," he replied, somewhat distracted by trying not to burn Amy's breakfast.

"I know, but breakfast too? Wow."

"Ben's a great cook," Leo chimed in, looking over his newspaper. "Took to it like a fish to water with his Mom. Loves to do it, don't you, son?"

"I do," he confirmed, serving up the food onto two plates and meeting Amy at the table.

"This looks really good," she replied with a smile. "Thank you," she added, pouring some orange juice from the pitcher into her glass.

"Well, better be off. The Sausage King doesn't even get Saturdays off," Leo said, pushing his chair in and leaving his dishes in the dishwasher. "You two have a nice day."

--

After both had showered and put on new clothes, they were ready for their day together.

"So, I was thinking," Ben began, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him, "we could go to the zoo, today; unless you don't feel up to the walk? You used to really love the zoo, and it looks like a beautiful day out."

Amy smiled and nodded. She really did really love the zoo. Animals – and nature in general – always fascinated her. "Yeah, I'd really like that."

Ben took her by the hand and together they walked out to the car. At the zoo, they saw it all, but they made a special point of catching the dolphin show at noon. Amy loved dolphins. As the dolphins leapt in and out of the water, doing tricks and fascinating the crowd, Amy and Ben sat hand in hand enjoying not only the show, but their time together. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. Ben smiled but did not disturb her. _This is how I want us to be forever_, she thought. Neither of them cared or even really noticed the few sideways looks that people gave them. It didn't matter what they thought.

--

"Thank you for dinner, Ben; and for the day at the zoo," she said as Ben walked her to her front step. "It was so nice to get outside and go on a real date," she added breathing in the crisp evening air.

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile. He moved to stand in front of her and took both her hands in his. "I haven't told you yet today, have I?" He asked. She looked a little confused and tilted her head to the side. He understood her confusion; she didn't need to say anything. "I love you, Amy Juergens," he whispered softly, kissing her innocently on the cheek. He hoped she wasn't tired of hearing that, but it was the truth and he meant it just as much this time as he had the first - perhaps more.

As he kissed her, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a flat, black velvet box and held it out to her.

"Ben," she exclaimed. "What's this?"

"I've wanted to give this to you for a while now. I thought about saving it for our six month anniversary, but I really wanted you to have it now." He smiled, tucking a hair behind her ear and tracing the side of her face with his hand. She took the box from his hand and ran her own over the smooth outside.

Other than the ring that he'd proposed with, Ben hadn't given her many physical objects to show his affection. He preferred to spend time with her, to be near to her and to tell her he loved her. Amy was excited; she didn't mind getting a gift every once and a while.

"Go ahead. Open it," he urged her.

Excited to see what was inside, she lifted the lid and revealed a small, pink, heart-shaped stone attached to a slender silver chain.

"Oh, Ben!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in embrace. "It's absolutely beautiful."

"Just like you," he replied, kissing her again. Their eyes met for a second, and he took the box from her, removed the necklace from it and did the clasp around her neck. "It was my mother's," he explained. "When she died, I kept some of her most important things packed away. I was looking through them a few weeks ago and I was struck by this. It just seemed perfect for you. I wanted you to have it. She would have wanted it to be used, not getting dusty in a box."

"Ben, this is too much," she said, touching the stone heart which now sat just above her own.

"Nothing is too much for you, Amy. Mom would have loved you," he answered, pulling her close again and touching his forehead to hers.

"I know I would have loved her too," Amy said, trying her best to keep eye contact with him at such a close distance. "Thank you," she whispered, tentatively pressing a kiss on his lips. That kiss was followed by another and another. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Wear that, and I'll always be near to you, even when I can't always be there holding your hand," he whispered back. "I hope it can remind you that no matter where I am, my heart is always next to yours," he added. She tightened her grip, and he did the same.

She knew that words were not necessary. She knew that no words, no matter how eloquent, could ever compare to the feeling they shared just holding each other. Still, she nuzzled her head even deeper into his shoulder and whispered to him. "This means so much to me. You do. I know I don't say it as often as I should, but you do. I love you, Ben. I love you so much."

With that, Ben cupped her face in his hands and kissed her with the most passion and force he'd ever used. "I'd better go," he said reluctantly.

"Do you have to?" she questioned breathlessly. Neither of them wanted the night to end.

He nodded. "Just remember, I'm always with you. Right here," he said, placing his hand over her heart. "Goodnight."

He blew her a kiss as he walked down the sidewalk and got into the car. She watched as he drove off slowly.

Now, in her own bedroom – curled up in the covers of her own bed – she held the heart pendant in the palm of her hand. She closed her eyes and she felt like the luckiest girl in the whole world.

"I hope you love him as much as I do," she whispered, holding the bump which grew larger and larger each day. As those words escaped her lips, she fell into a sound and peaceful sleep.


	3. So Fast

Amy's heart began to pound as Ben and Amy sat, hand in hand, in the eerily quiet waiting room at the clinic. Amy was due for her six month check-up, and she had decided she wanted to know the sex of the baby.

"Are you nervous, sweetie?" Ben asked, gently squeezing her hand and turning his head.

"No – no more so than usual," she replied. Amy wasn't a very good liar, especially around Ben. He flashed a knowing look. "Okay," she relented. "Yes, I'm nervous. I'm always nervous going to these checkups. You never know what could go wrong. I've grown attached, and all I want is for my baby to be healthy."

"It will be fine," Ben answered, taking her hand from hers and wrapping it around her shoulder. He didn't feel right promising her more than that. There was always room for complication, but he hoped and prayed that things would turn out.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked suddenly.

"I want you to have a healthy baby and a safe delivery. I want both of you in my arms, safe and sound as soon as possible. It doesn't matter to me whether it's a boy or a girl."

"You must be pulling for one side or the other, though. Come on," she replied. He shook his head, refusing to answer. She didn't know why he wouldn't just tell her.

"Amy Juergens," the nurse called, unfolding a chart and looking up around the room. She took Ben's hand and they followed the nurse back.

--

"How are you feeling, Ms. Juergens?" the kind female doctor asked as she entered the examining room. Ben had busied himself with a book of baby names while they waited.

"I'm fine," Amy said with a somewhat weak smile. The doctor extended her hand to Ben.

"You must be the father," she smiled.

"More or less," he replied as he shook her hand firmly.

"He's not the real father, but he's my fiancé now. He's offered to take care of me," Amy explained. "He's pretty much amazing," she said with a smile. The doctor nodded.

"I love you," Ben mouthed silently.

"So, are we ready to see how your baby is doing?" the doctor asked, preparing the necessary equipment. Amy nodded.

After a great deal more questions than Amy had expected, and fifteen minutes had passed, they were finally about to see the baby. The doctor placed the ultrasound wand onto Amy's exposed skin and stared at the monitor. She was quiet for a moment, looking intently at the screen. "There," she said, pointing with her other hand. "That's your baby."

"Oh, Ames," Ben gasped, grabbing her hand.

"I know," she smiled. "Pretty amazing, huh?" Ben nodded.

"I'm not seeing any problems at all. She looks totally healthy," the doctor added with a smile.

"She," Amy exhaled while she spoke the word. The doctor gave a smile and nodded. Amy looked to Ben and repeated the word, "she." Amy bit her lip before her face lit up into a smile. Ben nodded and squeezed her hand.

"Pretty soon, I'll have two amazing girls to love," he replied.

"It looks like everything is in order. Unless some of your lab tests come back badly – which I don't think they will – I think you've made it safely into the home stretch," the doctor added, almost not wanting to interrupt a special moment for the pair. "Congratulations. I'll get you a few copies of the picture, okay?"

"Thank you," Amy replied.

"You're welcome. I'll see you in a few weeks."

--

"So, it's a girl," Ben said, as they entered the mall and headed down the north corridor.

"It's a girl," she repeated wistfully. "I'm really glad," Amy added. "Even though I would love it no matter what, I think a girl will be a little easier. I understand girls."

"You don't understand guys?" Ben chuckled.

"Well, I do. I just mean, I was – am – a girl. I know how I think and what I needed from my mom. Having that knowledge will be an advantage. I wouldn't even know where to begin with a boy," she replied.

"You make us sound like aliens," he scoffed. "We're not that bad."

"Well, obviously there are exceptions to the rule," she replied, wrapping her arm around his waist and giving him a hug, while still walking. He kissed the top of her head and smiled as they stepped from the carpeted hallway to the hardwood floors of the baby store.

"I was just kidding, Amy. Truthfully, I'm pretty excited you're having a girl, too. She's going to be just as beautiful and special as you are. I know I'll fall in love with her the instant I can hold her. Plus, you get to dress her in little outfits like these," he said picking up a tiny pink dress with a heart embroidered on it. "Now, you've got to admit that that would look pretty silly on a boy."

Amy laughed. "Yeah, it would. I'm gonna enjoy dressing her in pretty little things."

"Like I said," he replied with a smile.

"Can I help you?" the less-than-friendly clerk asked as she approached the couple.

"No. We're just looking around. Thank you," Amy replied with a smile as Ben pulled her close. Without saying another word, she walked away and when she was gone, Ben and Amy burst into a fit of giggles, though they tried their best to muffle them, so she would not be offended.

"Now that we know it's going to be a girl, we can start decorating and buying things, I suppose," Ben remarked. "Paint for the nursery, a crib, toys, and a stroller. It will be nice to put one of those spare rooms to use. They've just been there, unused for a long time."

"Ben," Amy said. "Does that mean you think once the baby comes, I should live with you full-time?"

"Yeah, I was hoping you would," he replied. "I'd really like you to be there. I want to be involved every day."

"What about my mom? What about school?" she asked, thinking this through aloud.

"Well, I don't know. She can come to our house, it's not like I live really, really far away. I'm not asking you to leave her or your family behind. I just want to make a new start with you, for all of us. You're so important to me. You like our house, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I know Ben, and you're important to me, too. It's just complicated. I guess I hadn't really thought that far ahead," she sighed. "I mean, I know we're getting married and I know I can't stay at my house forever. I want to do all that stuff, it's just happening quicker than I expected."

"Please don't be mad," he requested gently touching her hand. She allowed him to lace his fingers through hers.

She shifted her weight from side to side and felt the pendant he had given her bounce lightly against her chest. How could she be mad? How could she be mad when he cared so much, he meant well, and he tried so hard to do the right thing for them.

"I'm not mad, Ben. I just need some time to work things out in my head," she replied. "Nothing is going to change between us. I don't _want_ anything to. I love that you want me to live with you, even if it will be really demanding to take care of the baby – and she will probably keep us both up at night. You've been my rock, and I appreciate it. You heard me tell the doctor. I meant that. I just need time to process all of this. Okay?"

"Of course it's okay," he replied, nodding. He placed his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them reassuringly. "Whatever you need, Amy. You've still got time. We've still got time." The pair left the store, hand in hand, without buying a single thing. "What do you say we get a bite to eat at the food court? You can process over a corn dog."

"I'd like that," Amy replied with a wide smile.


	4. A Very Nice Boy

"These tall chairs are usually really fun," Amy said as she struggled to lift herself all the way up onto the seat. "Not so much, when you are six months pregnant," she added. Ben chuckled and she smiled. He set her food down and sat down across from her. Amy immediately dug into her corn dog and fries.

"It's a wonder our baby is so healthy considering the junk food you eat," Ben jabbed jokingly.

"Hey," she said, playfully smacking him. He feigned injury and pouted. "You offered to buy me the corn dog," she sniped back, cocking her eyebrow at him. "Besides, Mom makes me eat veggies and fruit. I take the supplements. The food at your house is always amazingly delicious and healthy. Spare me the lecture and let me enjoy a little bit of corn dog heaven," she retorted, taking another bite. She could barely keep a straight face.

"So, I did. So, I did," Ben replied, acknowledging his part in her current junk food mania. He smiled at her. Amy grinned, and after swallowing the bite of corndog, leaned across the table, allowing him to press his lips to hers. She was delighted by his ability to always make her feel better, even if it sometimes happened in the strangest ways. "So, how come you didn't want to buy that little pink dress we saw at the store? I thought for sure you'd want to," he asked, taking a bite of his chicken sandwich. "Or something for yourself?" he added.

"That little pink dress was pretty cute. I'll see if it's there the next time we're at the mall. No need to go back now. The baby is still a few months off. Did you see that amazing dress in the window right as we were leaving though? It wasn't a baby dress. It was a dress for a mother, but it was not frumpy like they can sometimes be. It was amazing, way too expensive, but amazing."

"I guess I hadn't noticed it," he replied, taking a sip of his soda.

"I'm feeling pretty tired, would it be okay if you just took me home after we finish eating? As much as I'd love to spend more time with you, I think I just need to nap."

"You can nap with me, at my house," he offered a bit suggestively.

"No, I'm really tired. If I go back to your house, we'll just end up talking and I won't sleep. You're too entertaining, Mr. Boykewich," she said with a smile.

"Okay. I'll just have to live with that, I suppose," he replied, then gave her a cordial smile in return.

He kissed her goodbye and wished her a restful sleep, and as soon as he dropped Amy off at her house, Ben pulled out his cell phone to make a call, a call that had to be made.

--

The next afternoon at four o'clock, Ben was sitting in his room in front of his computer working on a paper for his English lit class when his phone rang. It was Amy. "I love you," he said, answering it.

"I love you, too," she replied. "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. I'm working on this English lit paper that's due tomorrow. Did I tell you about that?"

"Mmhm, it has to be six pages long, right?"

"That's the one," he replied. "Six pages is a tremendous amount to write about a book I didn't understand and barely read," Ben chuckled. "I'm gonna be at this all night."

"Do you need help?" she asked, with a smile. He could hear the way her voice changed when she smiled. He couldn't help but smile in response.

"No, I'll be okay. It's just going to cut into our time, that's all. I'm sorry, but I have to finish this."

"Oh," she replied. She hadn't even realized that it would mean she would not see him that night. "It's alright," she replied, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Good, I'm glad you'll be okay with it," he replied. She was a little hurt that he hadn't noticed the sadness in her voice. "We can hang out tomorrow night. It's Friday. I'll send my dad's driver over to pick you up tomorrow."

"Ben, I can have my mom give me a ride. You don't have to go out of your way," she replied.

"No trouble at all, sweetie. Just be ready at the normal time," he said. "Goodnight, Amy. I love you."

"Goodnight, Ben. I love you, too." Her throat caught a little on the last few words, but he'd already hung up. She sighed, closing her phone and sitting down, with a thump, on her bed. _What am I going to do all night? _

After flipping through some old magazines, making and eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and then attempting to watch some television, she eventually ended up back in her room on her bed, in her pajamas. _What did I do before I met Ben?_, she wondered as she idly fussed with the pendant between her fingers. _I must have done something, right? _She hadn't seen Madison or Lauren in months because she wasn't going to school – and even if she had been, Lauren still wasn't really allowed to see her. Without the social aspect of school and without Ben, Amy really didn't know what to do.

--

Ben yawned and shut the lid on his laptop. He'd finished sooner than he expected. He pulled a small card and a pen out of his desk drawer, and wrote a short note on it. Then he walked over to the bed and removed the large parcel from underneath it. Tucking the card underneath the ribbon, he smiled, ran his hands over the top and placed the package next to the door.

Snapping off the light, he went to bed.

--

There was a knock on her door. "Come in," she answered.

"Hi, Amy, honey," Anne greeted her. "What are you doing home? I didn't expect you to be in yet. It's only a little after nine. Did you get in a fight with Ben? He didn't try anything, did he?"

Amy scoffed, and then giggled. "Try anything? Have you seen me lately?" she asked, holding her stomach. "Plus, its Ben you're talking about, remember? No. We didn't get in a fight. I didn't go see him tonight; he was busy working on an English lit paper. He said he didn't have time," she replied with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I know how much you care about Ben," she said, rubbing her daughter's back tenderly. "Especially in your situation, which is a peculiar one to say the least, being away must be hard."

Amy nodded.

"What's this?" Anne asked, lifting the pendant off her chest and inspecting it. "It's gorgeous."

"Didn't I show that to you?" she said perking up. "Ben gave it to me. It used to belong to his Mom. He said to wear it as a reminder that he was always thinking of me, even when he wasn't able to be around."

"Today sounds like a good day to have that," Anne realized.

Amy nodded again. "I really love him, Mom."

"I know, honey."

"No, I don't think you do. I think sometimes that you think I just like him - that I just say I love him because he says it and he's willing to provide for me and the baby. But that's not true. It's not true at all. I really do love him. I don't know what to do when he's not around, Mom. I've been sitting up here all alone for hours now because I don't remember what I did before him, before I got pregnant."

"Oh, Amy, I'm sorry," Anne said pulling her into a hug. "It'll get better, I promise. You'll get older and you'll have the baby. There will be things to do, big things ahead. This is a tough time, but you'll get through it. I'm always here for you, too."

"Thank, Mom," she replied, reciprocating the embrace. "Can I ask you something?" she said, a bit hesitantly.

"Anything," Anne replied.

"I've thought about it, a lot, and after I have the baby, I think I want to go live with Ben at his house. I think it makes the most sense if we're getting married after the baby is born. I can't very well expect him to leave his house and live here. Would you be really mad if I did that?"

"My little girl is growing up," Anne sighed, as tears formed behind her eyes. "No, Amy. I'll miss you very much, but I think you should do what you think is best for the baby. For you and Ben, too."

"Thanks," Amy replied.

"I just want you to be happy. Amy, I'm very proud of you for taking responsibility for this, and I'm so glad that you found someone like Ben to lean on. He's a very nice boy," she added.

"He is," she agreed, smiling and touching the pendant once more.


	5. Sworn to Secrecy

He grabbed a blue polo and pulled it over his head as his phone vibrated on the desk. He reached over and grabbed it. It was a text from Amy. It read:

_Are you mad at me? I miss you._

Ben fought the urge to call Amy with every ounce of will in his body. He missed her. He wanted to call her and say, "Good morning, gorgeous. I missed you last night. How are you? How is our daughter? I can't wait to hold you again," but he did not do so. He didn't want to cheapen the effect of their special evening plans. He replied back:

_Morning! No, just busy. See you tonight._

Keeping this secret a secret was more painful than he had imagined it would be. He had no desire to make her think he was angry with her. How could he be angry with her? She was his everything. Sighing, he pulled his newly printed paper out of the printer and stapled the six sheets together. After sliding the essay in his backpack, he slung the strap over his shoulder and bent down to pick up the large white box. He clomped down the stairs and out to where the car was waiting to take him to school. He opened the door, pushed the box in across the seat, and then sat down himself.

"To school?" the driver asked. Ben nodded.

"To school," he confirmed. "This package is for Amy when you pick her up this evening. Bring it to the door for her. She'll know what to do from there."

"Very good," the driver responded with nod and a smile. "Such a large box, I'm sure Miss Juergens will be pleased."

"I hope so," Ben replied as they headed off to school.

--

Though she tried her best to work on her math all morning, Amy was too distracted to finish anything. Ben had always been better at math than she was anyway. He'd helped her understand the homework when they had math class together at Grant High. _Ben_, she thought. She felt lost without him. He'd said he wasn't mad at her this morning in his text, but for some reason she doubted him, even though she couldn't really think of what she'd done to make him mad at her. She'd been tired and a little grumpy the other day, but surely he understood his pregnant fiance being grumpy every once and a while. She shook her head, refocusing her eyes on the numbers.

She felt the baby kick and smiled. "Even if Ben is angry at me, I guess I'm never gonna be totally alone again, am I?" she said aloud, looking down at the bump and rubbing it lovingly.

--

Amy was just finishing up her makeup and hair when the doorbell rang. From downstairs, she heard her mother yell up to her, "Amy! That'll be Ben! You get it." Throwing down her bobby pins, she raced – as fast as she could in her state – down the stairs to meet him.

"Oh, hello," she said, surprised to see Ben's driver and not Ben himself. He was an older gentleman wearing a cap, and in his hands he held a large white box. She looked around him to see if Ben was hiding anywhere, but it seemed he was not.

"Ms. Juergens, this is for you. I was told you would understand what to do from here," he said, getting her attention and then handing her the box. "I'll be waiting in the car. No rush." She opened her arms to receive the clumsily proportioned box.

"Thank you," she replied in a confused tone of voice. She shut the door behind her with her free hand and made her way into the kitchen. Setting the huge box down on the table, she took in the sight of it. It was just a large, unmarked, white box with ribbon tied across it. Finally, after staring at it for a few moments, she noticed a small envelope tucked under the beige ribbon. Slipping the little enveloped out from its hiding place, she opened the card up that was contained inside.

_This is for you._

_I love you more than anything in the world._

_Once you are ready, head out to the car._

_Everything is already taken care of._

_- Ben_

She smiled and set the card aside. "What did you do, Ben?" she asked aloud as if he were present. Gripping the sides of the large white box with one hand on either side, she pulled upward and the lid slid cleanly off. Removing the lid revealed an immense volume of tissue paper, which obscured whatever was inside the box. No longer able to contain an ounce of curiosity or excitement, Amy dug through the tissue paper, brushing it from side to side until her fingers no longer felt the coarse texture of the paper, but the softness of expensive fabric. She gasped as she saw the familiar royal blue color. With all the tissue paper out of the way, the present inside was finally exposed and Amy could barely believe her eyes.

It was the dress that she had seen at the mall. It was the dress Ben had said he hadn't seen; the one that cost a fortune. Very carefully she lifted it from the box and allowed it to unfold itself, as the bottom hem traveled down to the floor. It was an empire waist, v-neck, royal blue gown with cap sleeves. It wasn't puffy like prom dresses tended to be, but the empire cut gave the skirt a nice volume.

It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever received. She couldn't believe that Ben had purchased it for her. Never in her wildest dreams had she expected this. Her heart raced as she walked up to her room and put on the dress. She changed her earrings and put up her hair. She looked in the mirror and smiled from ear to ear. Without even a word to her mother, she floated out the door and into the waiting car.

"Did you know about this?" Amy asked the driver. Looking back at her in the rearview mirror, he smiled.

"I only do what I am told, Miss. Young Benjamin told me to deliver the box to you, and so, I did. But, I must say, you look lovely this evening."

She blushed. "Thank you," she replied. "Where are we going? Do you know that?" Amy asked excitedly, assuming that she would not just be wearing this dress to Ben's house.

"That is a fact I have been sworn to secrecy on," he replied, starting the engine. They were off.

--

Ben fussed with his tie as he waited for Amy to arrive. It was well past six-thirty when he saw the car pull up across the street. It was just starting to get dark out and there were really no people around. He breathed in deeply, and watched as she came slowly, closer and closer to him. It took what seemed like hours for her to make her way across the street and onto the grass to meet him. When she was fifty feet or so away, he finally was able to see her close enough and without any obstructions. She looked amazing.

"Wow," he said aloud as she suddenly stopped about ten feet in front of him. "I – I honestly can't think of any other words. Um, wow," he said again.

"This dress is too much, Ben. It's perfect. Thank you," she said with a smile. "I think it's my color," she added.

"You look beautiful, Amy."

"Ben, I can't believe you bought the dress," she said, touching the soft fabric. "You said you didn't even see it when I mentioned it at lunch. I didn't mean you had to buy it for me," she began. "And you," she said, noticing his full, black suit, complete with tie. "You look pretty handsome yourself."

"Amy, do you know where we are?" he asked, looking around and then back to her.

She hadn't really stopped to think about it. The car had dropped her off and she had seen Ben. She was too preoccupied with dress and the magic of the evening to have even really considered the location. She looked around.

"It's the park," she whispered with a quiver in her voice. Ben nodded.

"It's the place where I asked you to marry me, all those months ago, Amy."

"But why, Ben? Why all of this right now?" she asked, trying to understand. She was still smiling.

He stepped closer to her and held out his hand as he had done many times in the past. She took it and he walked with her a few steps until they were standing right in front of the bench where they had sat all those months ago. He let go of her hand and reached under the bench. He brought up a small CD player and pressed a few buttons. Music began to play quietly.

He took her hand again and brought her in close to him. He placed his hand around her waist and began to sway. Slowly, she let her body synch into rhythm with his.

"Why?" he repeated, looking straight into her eyes. "Because I love you, because you deserve it, and because I know you've been feeling kind of lonely and unlovely these past few days. I know this whole baby thing has been really hard in many ways, not the least of which is your changing shape and size. I wanted you to feel beautiful again. I wanted you to feel like the woman I see when I look at you - the woman you are."

"I feel like a princess," she replied, sheepishly, not realizing the irony in that statement.

"I told you, Amy. I'll be your prince if you let me."

Tears formed behind her eyes. "You already are, Ben," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself even closer to him. She lingered there a moment, silently. "How did you know?" she asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I could just tell," he answered softly. "I'm still an idiot sometimes, but this time, I could just tell," he whispered. His lips lingered just inches away from hers. She closed the space between them so quickly, that the air that had existed in that space rushed towards Amy's face at a frenzied pace.

"I missed you so much, last night, Ben," she whispered back. "I know I should be able to get by one night, but I couldn't. Is living with you after the baby arrives, still an option?"

"Of course," he replied. "You know that's what I've wanted all along. You can move in anytime. You don't have to wait, if you're sure that's what you want. I thought you needed time? I'm willing to give you time."

"I know I said I needed to think about it, but I was wrong. As usual, I was just scared of taking the next step. I don't need to think about it anymore," she continued. "I realized last night that – without a doubt – I want to live with you. I can't even stand to be away from you for one day, Ben. If I can't stand a day, how could I last how ever many months it will be until the wedding? It's the truth, regardless of how pathetic it is. I'm such an emotional girl these days."

"It's not pathetic," he answered. "I feel the same way."

"Really?" she asked, still a little surprised at his honest expressions of his emotions.

"Of course, Amy. Do you think I wanted to be away from you? Don't you understand that everything I do is an attempt to keep us together or bring us closer together? That feeling is not pathetic, Amy. That feeling is what love is. It isn't the words, it's the actions. It's the reason I proposed to you even though you're pregnant; it's because I care more about your well-being than my own. It's being close to you when you need me to be," he replied. "It's why it felt so natural to hold your hand even on our first date."

She pulled away from his embrace and ran her hands down his arms to clasp her hands in his. She laced her fingers through his and held his hand like he had held hers that very first night.

"Like this?" she asked. He smiled

"Like this," he repeated, leaning in and kissing her lips softly.

"Thank you for loving me," she replied.

"Thank you for letting me love you," he responded.

Momentarily, she pulled him towards the bench, they sat down, and still holding his hand, she turned to face him. She was silent for a moment, and Ben watched her eyes waiting for a sign of some kind. Amy just savored the comfort of these silent moments with Ben, relishing the feeling of just holding his hand. Finally, she spoke.

"The baby kicked today," she said. "I'd felt it before, but I wasn't sure what it was. Wasn't sure whether it was the baby or a hunger pain. Today, she kicked really hard. I knew it was her. Do you want to feel it?" she asked.

Ben pursed his lips together, smiled and nodded. She placed his hand on the bump and the two waited in silence for a few moments.

"I felt it," Ben exclaimed. "I can't wait to meet our daughter, Amy."


	6. Sentimental

After some consideration, Amy had decided that even though they weren't married and the baby hadn't arrived yet, it was time to move in with Ben. It just felt right. They'd moved in the last of her stuff this morning, and with that out of the way, Ben had already gone to work on redoing one of the rooms into a nursery. Weeks ago, he had insisted that he repaint the room for the baby and Amy had chosen a light pink color for the walls.

As she placed the drink mix back into the cupboard, she thought about how much had happened in just a few short months. Now in her eighth month of pregnancy, she felt like she was as big as a house and ready to pop. As she treaded the stairs to find Ben, she almost couldn't believe she'd been pregnant for that long. At first it seemed like it was going to be forever. Nine months. Wasn't that a supposed to be a long time? Nevertheless, the time – particularly these last two months – had sped away from her.

Things were better than ever with Ben, but each day that inched closer to the baby's arrival caused Amy to feel increasingly scared of how the baby would change their relationship. She knew it would be hard – definitely different – and she wanted nothing more desperately than for nothing to change between them. It was foolish though, as she knew the baby would be a monumental change to their lives.

"I made you some lemonade. I thought you might be thirsty," Amy said, cheerily, putting the doubts and worries aside as she entered the room. There was Ben, wearing a paint splattered t-shirt and jeans. He looked good, rugged somehow. He'd changed since their first date. He was still the same sweet guy who she'd danced with that evening in the gym, but he'd gotten better. He'd really stepped up into the role of father and provider.

He set down the roller, stood and smiled. He took the glass from her hand and placed a thankful kiss on her lips. "Thanks honey," he replied, taking a large gulp. "But, you shouldn't be in here. You know, paint fumes and such aren't good for the baby," he added.

"You know, I really could help," she whined. "I feel worthless."

"Amy, don't even talk that way. You aren't worthless, just because you can't help me slap a few coats of paint on the walls? You're wonderful, but I've got a handle on it. Besides, this is man's work," he said.

"Ben!" she scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. He could be such an idiot sometimes.

"Amy," he cooed, brushing a hair out of his face.

"I know. I know," she replied with a sigh. "You have my best interests in mind. You're right. It's best if I don't stay here too long."

"It's only because I care," he stated matter-of-factly. "I wish I felt right about you helping. I'd love you to be able to. I just care about both of you too much."

"You're sweet," she decided, kissing him again on the lips.

"I love you," he whispered in response. "I'd better finish up. The furniture should all be here this afternoon."

"Well, the color looks great, and yes, everything should be here this afternoon. Finish up and come downstairs," she said, touching his arm. "I'll make us sandwiches or something," she added with a smile. Though he was a bit overprotective and old-fashioned at times, she knew he loved her.

--

"Let's set a date," she said abruptly, after taking a bite of her turkey sandwich.

"What?" Ben exclaimed, a little surprised, nearly choking on his last bite.

"Let's set a date. I want to set a date for the wedding. I want this to be official. I want us to be official," she said, reaching over and grabbing his hand tenderly.

"If that's what you want, babe. Whenever you're ready."

"Isn't it what you want?"

"Of course it's what I want, Amy. You know it's what I want. Don't ever question that, ever. I'm just surprised that all of a sudden you want to set a date."

"All this moving and changing is making me – I don't know – sentimental? Sentimental, I guess. It makes me wish we were already married; before she gets here."

"You want to elope? We can run away to Vegas right now and get married if that's what you want. I hear it's cheap, and Elvis could even officiate," he replied jokingly. Amy smiled and laughed.

"No, Ben," she replied, still giggling. "That's not what I want. I want a real wedding, with a real dress and flowers and guests; the whole thing. I just want to set a date."

"Okay," he nodded. "When?"

"How about June? The last Saturday in June. That will give us some time to plan things, right?"

"It's March. Is that enough time?" he asked. She nodded, pursing her lips together.

"I've been talking with my mom a little bit about it. She has some ideas. I think it will be enough time."

"Well, then – the last Saturday in June it shall be," he said, leaning across the table to kiss her. "June," he murmured.

"Mrs. Amy Boykewich," she whispered in response.

"Mmhm," he replied. "I've always liked the sound of that," he added, kissing her again.

--

"You know, I think the crib should actually be over there," Amy said, considering and pointing to the only empty corner of the nursery.

Through the door and to the left was the changing table, which butted up against a large closet now full of boxes and miscellaneous items for the baby. Across from the closet, near the center of the room, was a playpen which contained some toys. The sun – which had earlier streamed through the window on the far wall – had fallen toward the horizon, and it was now quite dark out. The furniture hadn't arrived as early as they had expected.

"Let's move it there, then," Ben agreed with a nod, as the pair lifted the light oak crib and placed it in the appropriate corner. "There!" Ben exclaimed, adding a satisfied sigh at the end of his sentence. He stretched sleepily and glanced at his watch.

"It's only a little after nine o'clock," she replied, noticing his dutiful eye on the time.

"I know, but I'm sleepy. Painting all day and moving furniture takes quite a bit out of a man," he justified. Amy yawned. "See! You're tired too. Don't try and say you're not."

"Well, yes. I am, but I'm always tired. You know, with the pregnancy and all? How about we play a game, or something? Scrabble? You love Scrabble. I'm sure your dad would love to play too."

"As much as I'd love to beat you at Scrabble," he began, pulling her close to him. "I'm tired. We can play Scrabble tomorrow."

"I suppose," she replied, as he took her hand and brought her to her new room. "Thanks for all the work you did today. I know it was a lot."

"You're welcome, sweetie. I'm glad you're here to stay. Enjoy your new room," he replied. "Goodnight, Amy," he added, kissing her cheek and squeezing her hand before he retired to his own room.

Amy squeezed back on his hand. He was so adorable. She breathed a sigh of relief, having finished a long day. She shut her door and undressed quickly, selecting a whispy but modest nightgown from the drawer. She padded into the bathroom, and brushed her teeth and hair. She yawned. Returning to her room, she crawled under the covers and closed her eyes. Time passed, but she did not fall asleep. She rolled onto her side but could not rest that way either. Heaving a sigh, she rolled back onto her back. She was tired. Why could she not sleep?

--

Ben had settled into his bed quite comfortably fairly soon after Amy left. He was just about to drift off to sleep when he heard the sound of careful footsteps approaching his closed door. He heard the door open softly, but no one entered the room.

It was pitch black as Amy peered into Ben's room. _Is he asleep?_, she wondered. "Ben?" she whispered into the dark, not wanting to wake him if he was already asleep.

Ben rolled over onto his left side and reached to turn on the nightstand light.

"I'm here, Amy. What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"I didn't wake you, did I? I couldn't sleep," she replied, still holding the doorknob in her left hand. "I'm tired, but it doesn't feel right, Ben."

"What doesn't feel right?" he asked, still on the brink between sleep and wake. He rubbed his eyes to try and wake up.

"Sleeping alone," she replied in a hushed tone.

"Come here," he requested, lifting up the covers to allow her to scoot in next to him. She shut the door behind herself and he wrapped the covers over both of them, engulfing her in his arms. "Now, what's this about not feeling right?"

"I don't know. I just can't get to sleep. I sleep so well when you're holding me, or at least when you are next to me. I don't want my own room, Ben. I want to be with you."

"Amy, I don't know if that's a good idea. How would your mom feel about that?"

"Ben, we're getting married. It's not exactly like we're going to do something we'd regret either. I'm kind of already pregnant."

"Amy, I thought we talked about this. I thought you wanted to wait until after the baby to, you know. Have sex. Isn't that what we both thought was best?"

"Yes, Ben. It is."

"I'm not going to lie, Amy. I do think about having sex with you. I love you, and I'm attracted to you. I can't help it. It just the way guys are, even ones with the best intentions. I can handle myself most of the time. I can hold you, and I want to – don't get me wrong, Amy – I love holding you, and falling asleep next to you. But, doing it every night could be hard. I want to keep my promise to you, Amy. I want us to wait until after the baby, until after we're married."

"I want that too, Ben," she replied nuzzling into his shoulder. She felt him breathe in deeply. "Ben, I'm eight months pregnant. I'm huge. Why would you want to have sex with me?"

She didn't understand. He sighed.

"Amy, it's not about how you look on the outside. It's about who you are. It's about what you mean to me," he replied. "Sex is just the final step," he added. He sighed again. It would be difficult, but he loved Amy. He believed he could manage anything in the name of their love.

"All I want is fall asleep next to you every night, and wake up next to you each morning. That's all," she replied.

"Alright," he conceded. "You can stay, but I'm making a promise to you tonight, a promise I expect you to hold me to. Nothing is going to happen that you don't want to happen. I know how hard it must be to even think about sex after what happened with Ricky."

Amy smiled. Ben never broke his promises.

"Yeah, I do see sex a little differently now that all of this happened, but Ben, you are not Ricky," she responded.

"Thank God," he scoffed. She laughed a little.

"You are not Ricky, Ben," she continued. "You know your weaknesses and you show them to me. You aren't trying to force me to do something you know I'm not ready to do, even though I know you want to. That is what makes you different from Ricky," she replied. "That and I love you."

He pressed a kiss on her lips and held her tighter.

"I love you too. You are so important to me. You have absolutely no idea. I worry everyday that I'll mess up and hurt you like he did, or in a different way. I never want to hurt you, Amy."

"You won't," she whispered back. "You're so good to me."

"This twin bed is awfully cozy for two," he replied, attempting to lighten the mood.

"I don't mind being cozy with you," she replied.

"Nor I with you," he assured her, "as I've already said. But, perhaps we should look into getting a bigger one," he added, "just in case we might want to stretch out sometime."

"That sounds good," she replied. She was there to stay.

"Is it alright if we go to sleep now? I'm still pretty tired," he asked.

"Yes," she answered, with a yawn.

"Will you be able to sleep now?" he inquired once more. "Amy?" he whispered. It was no use. She was already asleep, safe in his arms. Ben smiled and closed his own eyes. He too fell asleep, once more, holding the woman that he loved.


	7. More Than Anything Else

"I'm meeting my Mom for brunch this morning, remember?" Amy reminded her fiancé, looking up at his reflection in the mirror, as he stood behind her straightening his sweater vest. She'd finally managed to get her second earring in when he pulled her back into his embrace. He kissed her neck and she giggled. "Stop it," she exclaimed defensively, though she was smiling for ever minute of it.

"Did you really think I'd forgotten? You told me just last night," he replied with a smile. "You're discussing wedding stuff," he added.

"We are," she agreed. "All the big details, you know? We figured it would be best to get those out of the way before the baby gets here."

"Speaking of the baby, have you decided on a name yet?"

"Ben, we've tried to talk about this, but we can't agree on anything, remember?"

"I told you. You can name her whatever you want. I want you to be happy with it," Ben reminded her.

"How do you feel about Allison? I've always liked that name, but I hadn't thought of it until now. Plus it fits in with all the A names in my family."

"I think Allison is a pretty name," he said, nodding.

"Really," she questioned.

"Of course," he said, returning to her from across the room. "Like I said, I want you to be happy. Regardless, I do like Allison."

"I know you'd prefer to name her Sarah," Amy hesitated to finish the sentence, "after your mother."

"Again," he said gently, "that's up to you."

"I think we'll save Sarah for the next one," she whispered, quickly kissing his lips.

"Next one?" he asked, cocking one eyebrow upward.

"Yes, next one. At some point, I mean, not for quite a while, of course. But at some point, we'll probably want to have another child, one that is totally and one hundred percent _ours_. We can save Sarah for that one."

"Amy, this one is ours," he said, earnestly, taking her hand.

"I love you," she replied with a smile. _God, I'm lucky_, she thought. "You know what I mean," Amy replied with a somewhat sad sigh. She wished she hadn't gotten herself into this situation. It wasn't fair to Ben, but he was right there every step of the way being an amazing boyfriend and willing father.

"I love you too, Amy. I do know what you mean and I appreciate the thought. I look forward to the arrival of our little Sarah sometime down the line," he said with a smile. "Let's focus on this one though," he whispered, patting her stomach.

"Allison Marie Boykewich," Amy replied.

"Allison Marie Boykewich," Ben repeated. "That sounds perfect."

"Come on," she replied. "I'm gonna be late for brunch and you're gonna be late for school." They both went downstairs and headed out to the waiting car which dropped them off at their respective destinations.

--

The clock on the wall seemed to move at an unbearably slow pace during Ben's first period math class. His classmates went up and did problem sets on the board, and the teacher lectured about how to do the new theorems they had learned, but Ben just sat there somewhat out of it. He took notes, and he looked relatively engaged (so as not to raise the suspicion of the teacher), but he wasn't really paying attention.

He glanced out at the window and saw that it was a beautiful day. Second period would be here soon enough.

--

"A June wedding will be really amazing weather, Amy," her mother cooed. Splayed out in front of Anne was an assortment of swatches and color samples, laces and fabrics, names of catering companies and florists. She was prepared.

"I thought so, and it gives us some time to get settled in with Allison," Amy replied.

Anne looked up from the books of samples and ideas she'd laid out. "You named her?" she asked excitedly. Amy nodded with a smile.

"Ben and I agreed on it this morning. We both love it, and it follows the Juergens girl "A" names rule. Allison Marie Boykewich."

"You know you have to do some official adoption papers so that her last name is Boykewich, right?"

"Yeah, Leo has a lawyer who is gonna take care of all that, I guess."

"Shall we talk about the wedding?" Anne interjected, nodding in understanding of the last matter.

"Of course, that's why we are here," Amy replied, taking a sip of her orange juice. "Okay, so it's going to be June 27, 2009. I think I would kind of like it to be at sunset. That's how I've been picturing it lately. You know, a smaller service, outside or something."

"Not in a church?"

"No, neither Ben nor I are really church people. I mean, I thought about it just because it is tradition, but I've pretty much bucked tradition here," she laughed. "Why start now?"

"So, you want the service outside, in the evening? Do you want some kind of big tent or something?"

"If that's what you think, that sounds good."

"Guest list?" Anne asked.

"I'm still working on that. It really shouldn't be huge, just all the people who are the most important to Ben and me."

"What about the food?" Anne asked.

"I hadn't really thought about that," Amy replied. "Let's figure that out later."

"Okay, perhaps the most important question," Anne paused and looked up at her daughter. "Your dress," she smiled.

"This, I have thought about. I want a very light tan, almost cream colored dress with kind of a silver ribbon at the waist. The silver will tie in my bridesmaid dresses, which will be knee-length, light silver, almost white with pink ribbons at the waist."

"Do you even need my help?" Anne laughed.

"Doesn't every girl have her wedding planned out years in advance? Of course I need your help. You're my mother."

"Have you thought about bridesmaids?" Anne asked.

"Do you think Ashley will want to be my maid-of-honor? I know it's probably not really her thing, but she's definitely been the closest to me through all of this. She knew about the baby pretty much right away."

"Under that tough exterior is a sister who really loves you. I think she'd like that."

"Other than her, I don't know. I mean, I don't really talk to Madison or Lauren anymore," she sighed.

"You should, Amy. Just because you have Ben – who, don't get me wrong – is amazing, doesn't mean you can't have girlfriends. I'm sure he's smart enough to have told you that a time or two," Anne responded. Amy nodded.

"He has, but I just don't know. Things just fell apart after I decided to keep the baby. Neither of them thought it was a good idea. Then there was all the Ricky drama. I just don't know if I could talk to them again. It wouldn't be the same."

"Of course it won't be the same, Amy. But, don't you want something like the friendship you had? Your life is about to change tremendously. Why should their friendship not change as well?"

"I guess," Amy said, shrugging.

--

Anne dropped Amy off at the Boykewich house and she struggled with her shopping bags and the fumbled the keys in the door. She had barely entered the house, when Ben popped out from out of nowhere and tackled her with a hug.

"Oh, hello!" she exclaimed, pleasantly surprised, dropping her bags as she reciprocated his embrace. "Are you okay?" she whispered into his shoulder, as he held on a little longer than usual.

"Yes," he replied, squeezing her tighter. "I'm just glad you're home. That's all."

"Was class that horrible today? It's only been like eight hours since I've seen you. It must have been pretty bad to warrant such a hug," she replied, reclaiming her purchases.

"You mean I can't just hug the woman I love because I want to? Because I missed her?"

"Okay, you can, Ben," she laughed. "I was just saying."

"It was pretty boring. I spent most of the day wondering what you were up to, and what you'd decided about the wedding."

"You really care that much about the wedding? I didn't think you'd really care about the details so long as I go the "I do" part right," she replied. He glared at her. "I'm kidding," she added. "I didn't know you wanted to be involved. I would have involved you, in the details, I mean."

"Well, I think we should at least discuss it, don't you? I mean, it's your big day, so you should make most of the decisions, but I'd like to be in the know."

"It's our big day," she corrected him, grabbing his hand as the walked into the kitchen. "So, yes, we can discuss it."

"What have you got there?" he asked, referring to her shopping bags.

"Mom took me shopping. I guess she thinks it's the least she can do for me," Amy replied.

"Did you have a nice time with her?"

"Yeah, I did," she replied with a smile.

"You want something to drink?" he asked, poking his head into the refrigerator.

"Water," she replied, setting her stuff down on the table and sitting down carefully in a chair. "Would Alice want to be a bridesmaid?" Amy suddenly asked. Ben thought for a moment, a little confused by the spontaneity of the question.

"I don't know. Probably, she likes things like that." He sat down, and placed a water bottle in front of her.

"We've never really been very close, but she is one of your best friends. I think it's only fair that I ask if she'd like to," Amy replied.

"You're so thoughtful," he said, placing several slow kisses on her lips. "I'm sure she'd love to. What about your friends? Madison? Lauren?"

"Ben, it's been a long time since I've talked to either of them. I think it's past the point of awkward. There's probably no chance that we could be friends again."

"Well, if you're sure. It's their loss though – because you are amazing."

"You're just saying that because you love me," she smiled.

"It's true, but and I do. I love you very much," Ben replied with another kiss.

"Hey, you lovebirds! How's it going?" Leo exclaimed entering the kitchen. He had just come from work.

"We're just discussing wedding plans. Amy planned some things out with her Mom today," Ben responded.

"You have the food all set up? If not, I could take care of that. Sausages all around," Leo replied.

"Actually, Mom and I didn't decide on the food. We could do like a classy barbecue," she pondered aloud. "We'd probably need a vegetarian option, but that could be good. Certainly easier than finding a caterer," she added.

"Well, you just let me know what you want and in what quantity and the Sausage King will take care of the whole thing," Leo nodded. "I see you two kids at dinner time," he added, leaving them alone for some private time.

"So, is there anything I can help with?" Ben asked, looking back at the love of his life.

"How do you feel about black tuxedos?"

"I feel like it I could wear anything as long as I get to hold your hand and finally make us one hundred percent official, just you and me forever," he replied, leaning his forehead onto hers.

"You're too much sometimes, Ben Boykewich, but I love you more than anything else in the whole world," she replied beaming.

"See, it's not cheesy because you mean it, right?" he replied with a smile. "It's the same with me."

She nodded, "I guess so."

"We can talk about this later. You wanna watch a movie before dinner?" he asked. "Anything you want," he added.

She nodded and they put a movie in and sunk back into the giant comfy couch in the living room. He lifted his arm and she scooted underneath. She laid her head against his chest and she could hear the beating of his heart and feel each breath he took. He played idly with her hair, smoothing it down gently. He found her hand with his and she smiled, trying to pay more attention to the movie than how his caresses made her feel. Slowly, but surely their previously separate breaths fell into a natural rhythm.


	8. Choices

Note: Just a quick thank you to all of you that have been reading from the beginning, the story has definitely evolved a bit, due in large part to your desire to want to read more and to Kirsten who has helped me through some major writers block/just hashing out ideas, and how certain characters would act. Thank you!!

--

"Henry, I have a proposition for you," Ben exclaimed with a grin on his face, as he approached Henry, who was taking some books out of his locker. "How would you like to be my best man?"

Henry blinked several times before answering. He shut his locker and slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Yeah, of course! What are best friends for?" Henry replied with a smile. "I can't believe you're getting married. You're so lucky to have found Amy," he sighed. They left Henry's locker and began to walk down the south corridor towards their respective classes.

"I am pretty lucky, but don't worry, Henry," Ben consoled his friend with a pat on the back. "There's a girl out there for you."

"I hope you're right," he nodded. "I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life. I thought Alice would be the one, you know? Then she wasn't, and I just haven't known what to do ever since. Will Ashley be there?"

"Yes, Ashley will be there. She's Amy's maid-of-honor. You'll be escorting her," Ben replied. As much as Ben hated to encourage Henry's on-again, off-again infatuation with Ashley, it was the truth. "Now, there is the small matter of Alice," Ben continued.

"What about Alice?" Henry asked.

"Amy asked me to ask her if she'd like to be a bridesmaid. Is that gonna be awkward between you two? I haven't talked to her yet, but I think Alice would like to do it, and I know Amy would like Alice to be there."

"We'll be fine. We're friends, it's just tough sometimes. We try. I mean, its Amy's wedding though, right? It's her day. We'll do whatever is best for her," Henry nodded.

"You're a good man, Henry," Ben replied as the bell for class rang. "We can talk nitty-gritty details later," he added with a wave. Henry turned right and entered the classroom and Ben jogged a few doors up and entered his fourth period science class.

Ben snuck in and sat down in the back. Thankfully the teacher had not started class yet. He pulled out his cell phone and sent Alice a text.

_Wanna meet me for lunch? I need to talk._

--

"Why are you meeting with Millie and Vanilli, anyway? They've been pretty much the worst friends, ever." Amy and Ashley walked side by side down the sidewalk on their way to the small restaurant that Amy had called the meeting at.

"There has to have been a reason we were best friends for so long, right? I mean, sure, they've done some pretty bad things, but this is my wedding. If my two best friends can't be at my wedding, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"I think you'll probably live," Ashley scoffed. "You've got Ben. What more could a girl ask for?"

"You don't understand, Ashley. Ben's not a girlfriend. It's not the same."

"Ben's not your best friend?" Ashley asked. "If Ben's not your best friend, you probably shouldn't be marrying him. With all the other complications, what chance have you got if he's not your best friend?"

"I didn't say that, Ashley. You'd have to be in the situation to understand, okay? I'll handle, Mill -- Lauren and Madison. I'm doing what I have to do."

"Amy!"

"Oh, Hi Grace," Amy replied stopping in the middle of the sidewalk as Grace Bowman approached her with an excited smile on her face.

"Oh, Amy, how are you?" Grace asked pulling her into an embrace. "It's been so long since I've seen you, since you've been doing home school."

"I'm doing really well, thanks Grace," Amy replied with a smile. There was a point where Amy hadn't really known or understood Grace, but she had turned out to be really sweet and supportive of Amy coming back to school, even though ultimately Amy had decided not to.

"You must be due any day now, huh? You look good."

"Pretty soon, yeah," she said with a telling smile.

"So, you and Ben, you're still together?"

"Yeah, we are. We're engaged, for real this time. See?" she said, holding up her hand to show off the ring. "We're getting married at the end of June."

"Well, congratulations! It's a little unconventional. You're so young, but I suppose this is all a little bit unconventional. Ben is a sweet guy. You need someone like him. I'm glad you found each other."

"Yeah, me too," Amy replied matter-of-factly. "Do you want to come to the wedding?"

"I'd love to," Grace replied sweetly. "Can I bring Ricky?"

Amy didn't reply right away she was a little take aback by the statement._ Was she serious? Did she want to bring Ricky as her date?_ Before Amy could respond, Ashley did.

"Um, no! He's father of Amy's baby, and this is Amy's day with Ben. She doesn't want him anywhere near the wedding, or her. Ever."

"Ashley," Amy scolded. She turned her head and looked back at Grace. "She's being mean, but she's right. I don't want anything to do with Ricky, Grace. I chose Ben. Ricky needs to deal with that. He's not a nice guy, Grace. I'd love it if you would come, but please don't bring Ricky with you," she finished.

"Maybe he's different, Amy. Maybe he's changed. If you don't want him there, I won't bring him. I should have thought before I said that. I'm sorry. You're right. Maybe I'll see you there. Whether I come or not, congratulations, I hope you and Ben are happy."

"Thanks, Grace," Amy replied nodding her head. "I'll see you," she added. Grace waved, carefully sidestepped the sisters and continued on her way.

"Could she have been ruder?" Ashley asked. "I mean, come on. It's not like she forgot about you and Ricky. She's not that dumb."

"Whatever, Ashley. It doesn't matter. She won't bring him." They reached the café and Amy spotted Lauren and Madison across the seating area. "You don't have to hang around. I said I could handle this, so I will."

"Fine, I'll be across the street," Ashley snapped. Amy inhaled deeply and walked towards the two girls, who were seated together.

"Hi," she replied, pasting on a smile and pulling out a chair at the table.

--

"Alright, I'm here. What did you need?" Alice asked as she slammed down her brown sack lunch and swung her legs over the picnic bench.

"Bad day?" Ben asked, screwing up on eyebrow.

"No more than usual," Alice replied. "Seriously, what's going on?"

"It's nothing, really. I just – Amy and I, were just curious if you would like to be a bridesmaid in the wedding? It's going to be the end of June. She asked me, and I said I didn't know if you'd want to. I figured you might. You know, pretty dress and whatnot. Girls like that stuff, right?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You do know that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, fifty-nine percent of young adults who marry under the age of twenty get divorced within ten years of marriage, right?"

"Thanks for the encouragement, Alice."

"Look, Ben, I'm sorry. I shouldn't say stuff like that. I know you've thought about it. I know you know how hard this is gonna be," Alice apologized. "You're a sweet guy, Ben. If anyone can make this work, it's you. It's just gonna be hard."

"Amy and I love each other, Alice. We really, really do. I can't imagine life without her. I don't ever intend to leave her. Do you remember what I was like before I met Amy?"

"Yeah, you were a real loser," she replied sarcastically and somewhat under her breath. She took a beat. "I'm kidding, but yes. Amy has been really good for you and you for her."

"Does that mean you'll be a bridesmaid? That on some weird level, you approve?"

"Yes," she replied, nodding and smiling. "I will be a bridesmaid. It's sweet that Amy thought of me. I hope the statistics are wrong for you two."

"I know they are," Ben replied confidently.

--

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Madison asked, her tone innocent and friendly as if nothing had happened. Lauren said nothing.

"Well, I know that some things happened between us. Things got a little out of control with the baby and Ricky, and somehow our friendship disappeared. I'm sorry about that, for the part I played in that," she added.

"It wasn't just you," Madison replied. "We did pretty much tell the whole school you were pregnant with Ricky's baby. Then Lauren did some things with Ricky she probably shouldn't have."

"I can speak for myself," Lauren replied sharply. "I still think I had every right to make out with Ricky. Maybe it was stupid, but just because you made a big mistake with him, Amy, doesn't mean he's going to make that mistake again." Amy nodded.

"If that's how you want to see it, I think you're wrong," Amy replied. "But, that's up to you. The real reason I asked you both here is that Ben and I set a date for the wedding and I want you two – my supposed two best friends – to be my bridesmaids, you two, Ashley, and Alice if she says yes."

"You are seriously getting married to Ben?" Lauren looked a little shocked. "I didn't think you'd actually go through with all it. You're sixteen, Amy! Sixteen and pregnant by another guy. It's not a good idea, Amy."

"You two were the one's that suggested it in the first place. Remember on my first date with Ben, at the dance? You wanted me to marry him. I didn't want to marry him just because of the baby. I didn't want to trick him into something, but you wanted me to. So, now I actually want to marry him because I'm in love with him and you don't approve!?"

"We were in a desperate situation. We weren't thinking," Lauren responded. "If you love him, maybe you should wait a while. Like ten years? Maybe fifteen? You don't need to marry him, now."

"That's just the thing though, Lauren. You don't get it. There's no reason not to. It's not like my life is going to be a normal teenage life anyway now that I'm going to be a mother. He loves me, and I love him. I'm so, so lucky. I might as well spend it with him. Why do you have to take that away from me? Why do you always try to take happiness away from me?"

"You know, I think you guys are young, but if Ben is what makes you happy, Amy, you should get married," Madison replied, finding it hard to get a word in edgewise between the two of them.

"Madison! Don't do this. You don't think that. You're just saying that because you're in front of Amy," Lauren replied.

"No, I'm not," Madison retorted. "It's not the best idea, but she can do what she wants. I think she gets that choice now that she's in her situation."

"You know, sometimes I wonder why we were ever friends at all," Lauren responded. "Have a good marriage," she added bitingly as she stormed off. Madison glanced over at Amy and her expression turned a bit sad. She bit her lip.

"Sorry," Madison whispered, and jogged to catch up with Lauren.

Amy pulled her cell phone from her purse as tears began to run down her face. That was it. Her two best friends were gone. She dialed as she tried hard to hold back the tears.

--

Amy placed her hand on the small golden knob on the Boykewich front door and turned it. Disheartened, she dropped her purse on the kitchen table and made a bee line for the freezer. Inside, she found several containers of Ben & Jerry's and pulled one out. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and sat down.

The first spoonful of cherry and chocolate goodness was heaven, but it didn't keep the tears at bay. She'd done her best, and mostly succeeded to hide them from the driver, but now that she was home, there was no way. Several salty tears dropped onto the ice cream, making little spots that shone differently in the light.

"I'm home," Ben replied, cheerily as he rounded the corner. "How was your --," he replied, stopping mid-sentence as he saw his Amy sobbing into a carton of Cherry Garcia. He rushed over to her and pulled out a chair to sit down on. "What's wrong, Amy?" He received no answer, just a few more tears and some sharp inhalations of air. "Sweetie," he asked, rubbing her back lovingly. "Tell me what it is. I'll fix it. I'll fix whatever it is."

Amy sobbed a few more times before she answered. "You can't fix it, Ben!" she exclaimed. "You can't fix it."

"Maybe if I knew what it was," he requested again.

"I went to talk to Lauren and Madison," Amy sniffled.

"Not good, huh?" Ben asked.

"No. It was not good. Basically, they don't approve of us getting married. They think we should wait until we're thirty or something. Like that's gonna make things different," she sniffed. "So, basically, I chose you over them. They made me choose you over them. That's it. I don't have bridesmaids. My two best friends disowned me because I want to marry you." She continued to sob. "I don't know if we ever were friends," she finished. She set down the spoon and carton.

"Amy, I'm so sorry. I know how much you wanted to patch things up with them. I know how important it was to you that they be there. That's an awful position to put you in. I'm so sorry," he replied, pulling her into his shoulder like he had done all those months ago. "I love you, so much, Amy, but I never intended to come between you and your best friends," he added. He placed a kiss on the crown of her head and smoothed down her hair, gently. "What can I do? Do you want to not get married? I guess I don't want that, but if that's what you want --," he offered.

"It's not what I want, Ben," Amy replied, pressing her hand to his chest. "It's not what I want. I want to get married. I want to be with you. I really, really, really do. I was hoped that they could understand that. That they could be happy for me," she added. "Before that, I ran into Grace and she wanted to bring Ricky to the wedding. What was she thinking? Ricky? I think he's caused enough trouble. This is my wedding, our wedding, our day. I don't want Ricky there. It's just been the worst day, Ben."

"There's nothing I can do?" Ben asked again, softly.

"I don't know. I don't think so. You've done enough," Amy replied, looking up at him. "You're amazing. Just being here for me, listening to me is enough. You can't make Lauren and Madison change their minds, and you can't make me not pregnant."

"No, I can't, but I'm here for you, always. I know you want to have girlfriends, but I will take care of you and listen to you. I'll be everything you need, if you let me. I love you," he replied, placing a kiss on her lips and then pulling away gently. She made a small whimpering noise as their lips separated and she reached out for him, pulling him back to her, this time placing the kiss on his lips.

They continued to kiss, each one building on the next. She wrapped her arms around his torso and brought him as close to her as possible. She rested her head on his shoulder and she spoke softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Amy. Please don't ever be sorry for being you, and for having troubles. We all have troubles, and I love you, so your troubles are my troubles. That's what it means," he replied, brushing his finger gently over her tear-stained face. "What can I do? Do you think you'll be alright now?"

"As alright as I can be," Amy replied and nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ben responded, once again pressing a kiss to her lips.

She smiled faintly and rose to put the spoon in the dishwasher. Upon standing, she felt a momentary dull pain in her lower back which she had never felt before. Ben sat there with his thoughts, as she cleaned up. As she closed the dishwasher, Amy noticed the pain return again. Something didn't feel right, she felt different. "Ben," she shouted in fear.

"What is it?" Ben spun in his chair to face her. She was leaned up against the island in the middle of the room. "What is it?" he repeated, coming to her side once more. She looked up at him, now holding her swollen abdomen.

"I think it's time," Amy replied as calmly as she could.

"You're not due for two more weeks. How do you know?" Ben's head was beginning to spin. It felt like this day would never come, even though he knew it would.

"I just do, okay? We don't need to argue about this," Amy inhaled.

"You're right, we don't. Everything is gonna be fine. I love you," Ben replied taking her hand. "Let's get you to the hospital. We'll call your Mom on the way."


	9. At Least

"I'm scared, Ben," Amy said, reaching for him as she sat down in the wheelchair.

"I'll be right here, Amy. Everything is going to be fine. Your family is on their way, and I'll be in as soon as they have everything figured out," Ben whispered, placing a kiss on her lips before the nurse wheeled her away.

Ben stood straight and inhaled deeply. Hundreds of thoughts rushed through his head. He sat down in a waiting room chair. He turned his wrist to read the face of his watch: 5:30pm. He continued to stare at it, thinking of all the things just coming around the corner and how today was the day his life would change forever. Truthfully, he was scared but he was also really in love and really excited to welcome little Allison into their lives. All the talk, anticipation and fear had led up to this moment.

"We came as soon as we heard!" Madison exclaimed, rushing up to Ben with Lauren keeping pace just behind her.

"Well, she can have the baby now," Ben replied sarcastically. "Call off the search, the two worst best friends in the world have arrived," he added, standing up. "You know, it's your fault she's having the baby now. If you two hadn't been complete jerks, maybe she wouldn't have been so stressed out and gone into early labor."

"Is that what the doctors said?" Lauren asked.

"We're sorry, Ben. We didn't mean to, I mean, I wanted – I mean, I _want_ Amy to marry you. I don't want her to have to choose. It was Lauren who had a problem with it. I always get caught in the middle," Lauren glared at Madison. "Is she gonna be okay?" Madison asked worriedly.

"I guess so," he shrugged. "I only talked to a nurse. Thankfully, she's only two weeks early, so I don't think the baby is in too much danger. Amy is in with the doctors now," Ben replied. He was furious with these two girls, on Amy's behalf.

"What gives you the right to treat Amy like that?" Ben snapped at Lauren.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. I can't believe you'd make her choose between your friendship and me. What kind of friends are you? I love Amy," he paused as the words caught in his throat and he held back a wave of emotion he could feel was building up. "I love her so, so much," he continued. "She needs me. We need each other. Why would you ask her to leave me?"

"I don't know. It wasn't exactly like that, and besides, it just seems like a bad idea to me, you two getting married. I mean, is it really possible for you to know that you want to spend the rest of your life with her? You're both sixteen years old. You don't even have a license yet. Plus, I think maybe Ricky deserves a shot at being this baby's father," Lauren replied.

"Don't even bring Ricky into this. He's really the cause of the fight between you two. If you're worried that I'm gonna abandon her like Ricky did, then you are wrong. The concept that I could potentially hurt her even half as badly as he did scares me every single day. She means everything to me. The fact that she's entrusted her heart to me is a huge step after being hurt by Ricky, and I don't take that lightly. We may be sixteen, but I can't imagine life without Amy, and I am willing to sacrificing everything I have to love and provide for both of them for as long as I am capable of it. That's what you do when you love somebody; that's how I know it's real," Ben answered.

"Wow," Lauren replied, dumfounded.

"What?" Ben asked.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you? It isn't just another game or a way to sleep with Amy. You've really thought about how serious this is," Lauren explained.

"Of course I have," Ben replied with a sigh. "I can't explain it anymore. It is what it is. Please, just trust that I will do my best to take care of her and love her."

"See, Lauren? I told you he was serious," Madison elbowed Lauren, gloating. She stopped when she noticed the new person in the room. He'd been there for a bit, but the trio hadn't noticed because of the heated conversation.

"Well, Ben Boykewich," Mr. Juergens said, stepping out of the hallway and closer to Ben.

"We'll be around," Madison said, grabbing Lauren by the sleeve and quickly leaving the men alone.

"George," Ben exclaimed, a little surprised.

"I heard all of that," George replied, putting his hands in his pockets, "or enough of it anyway. You know, I always thought you were a nice guy. Whole heck of a lot better than Ricky right off the bat, and I was glad that if Amy had to date someone, that she was dating you. But, I wouldn't have believed what I just heard if I hadn't heard it was my own ears. You just don't find that kind of maturity in kids today," George added. "It means a lot to know that I've trusted my little girl into the right hands."

"You have, Mr. Juergens. I promise. I don't care about anything more than I care about Amy, and I know it's gonna be hard. I'm not so naive to think it's all gonna be easy from here, but she's the most important thing in my life."

"I know," George nodded, patting Ben on the shoulder. "What's the news?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I haven't heard since she went in. She's two weeks early, but you knew that. The nurse said that it shouldn't be a big problem, but Amy was really worried and scared, which is reasonable, of course. I tried to reassure her that the doctors would take care of her, and everything would be fine."

"Good man, but take it from someone who has been there," George replied. "This is not an easy time for a woman. You can say all the nice things in the world and she might not believe you till it's all over with. I'll tell you right now, regardless of what she says, she loves you. You've been there for her and she loves you very much. She's told me so," he added.

"Thank you, Mr. Juergens," Ben replied, earnestly, pursing his lips and nodding his head.

"George," Anne exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought I'd have to call you." George looked up to see his wife and his beautiful daughter, Ashley. Ashley had her arms crossed defensively across her body and she didn't quite focus on any particular point in the room.

"I came as soon as I heard. Ben called me," George replied gesturing towards his daughter's fiancé. Ben waved at Mrs. Juergens and Ashley. Ashley glanced at her mother and walked over to Ben.

"Is Amy gonna be okay?" she asked, quite seriously. Ben put his hand on her arm, reassuringly.

"She's gonna be fine," he replied. "I'll tell you what I know," he added, pulling her across the room and sitting down in a chair.

"Listen, Anne. I know you don't want to see me," George began.

"No, I don't. But, Amy is your daughter and you have a right to be here on this day. In fact, in a way, it would be weird for you to not be here," she paused. "I would have called you," she added, looking down at the floor. "So, Amy is alright," Anne asked, changing the subject as best she could.

George nodded. "I guess so; at least that is what Ben says the nurse said, at least."

"I'm so glad Ben was there when she went into labor. If she'd been alone, who knows how long it would have been before she could have gotten here."

"Ben is quite the young man," George remarked. "I overheard him talking to Lauren earlier, and he really loves Amy. I don't know if even she really knows just how much he loves her and cares about her. For someone so young, I was blown away," he added.

Anne nodded. "I was skeptical at first, too, George," she replied, looking over at Ben who was still sitting and talking with Ashley. "I didn't think it was possible for them at that age, but he's impressed me every step of the way. He's never let her down. She's lucky to have him," Anne finished.

"I think we can agree on that," George replied, smiling at Anne. "Have you eaten dinner yet? Amy will probably be awhile. Do you wanna get something?"

--

As Ben paced the room, he glanced at his watch which now read 9:15 pm. They had spoken to the doctors two hours ago, and he was getting impatient and worried. Ashley sat rather quietly, flipping through some vapid teen magazine with a look of utter disinterest. Lauren and Madison had decided to go home for the night and they would come back in the morning to see how Amy and the baby were doing. George leafed through the newspaper and Anne had managed to find the USA Today crossword puzzle. They were all playing the waiting game, some of them were better at it than others.

"Mr. and Mrs. Juergens?" the stout, friendly looking nurse asked as she entered the waiting room. George and Anne looked up. "Amy is getting very close to delivering," she replied. "Oh, and you too, Mr. Boykewich. She's asked for you several times now. If you'd like to follow me in," she added.

"You go," George said to Anne. "Ashley and I will wait here."

Anne and Ben followed the nurse into the delivery room.

"Ben," Amy shouted, as soon as she saw him. He rushed to her side and took hold of her hand.

"Oh Ames," he said, refraining from the obvious question. "It's gonna be alright. It's gonna be just like we practiced in class. I'll be here with you, all the way through and you can squeeze my hand as hard as you need to. I'm here, and so is your mother."

Amy smiled and gripped his hand tighter. She looked over at her mother, who was now on her other side.

"I've been through this, so I know how you're feeling, sweetie," Anne said, brushing some hair away from her face. "It's gonna hurt but it will be over, and you and Ashley were worth it. Believe me. Once she is here, this is all going to feel worth it," Anne added, taking her daughters other hand.

"Are we ready?" the doctor asked, arriving and putting on a smock and some gloves. Several of the nurses nodded. Amy just looked at him, both scared and excited for what was to come.

As promised, Ben and Anne were there with her the whole time, and forty minutes later, Amy made her final push, gripping Ben's hand and crying out his name. Just moments later, the doctor introduced Amy to her healthy baby girl. Amy breathed heavily and blinked several times, trying to hold back the drowsiness. He placed the bundled child into her arms and suddenly all the pain she had focused on just moments ago was gone. There in her arms was a tiny life, a life that she had brought into the world. Allison wriggled and moved and Amy just stared fixedly at her, amazed.

"Wow," Amy whispered. "Allison," she added, looking up, first at her mother who smiled back at her, and then at Ben. She'd never seen his smile wider than it was at that very moment. He kissed Amy on the forehead and touched Allison's tiny, soft face with just one finger.

--

"The nurse said she would bring in some food for you," Ben replied, re-entering the room. "Your Mom said she'd give us a little bit, and then they would all come see Allison," Ben added.

Amy was still holding Allison, absolutely enraptured by her existence.

"You did so well, Amy. She's beautiful, just like her mother," Ben said, sitting down on the edge of the bed so that he could face Amy.

"I never would have gotten through that without you," Amy said. "I never would have gotten through any of it," she added. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied. "I'm so glad you are both safe and healthy," he added. "I was getting worried there waiting for you to dilate. I probably would have worn a hole in the carpet if the nurse hadn't come when she did."

Amy laughed and Ben leaned in to press a kiss to her lips.

"I love you, Ben."

Ben breathed a sigh of relief. "I love you, too, Amy. Saying those words just doesn't suffice though. They are so inadequate for how I feel right now, for how I've always felt. But, I do, Amy. I do."

"I know," she nodded. "I understand. You being with me through all of this tells me more than any words you could say," she replied. "I only wish I could have told you and showed you sooner."

"Let's just focus on today, and tomorrow," he said with a smile. "Allison Marie Boykewich," he exhaled. "Let's take a picture, so we'll never forget," he suggested. "All I have is my cell phone. We were in such a rush." He pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, pulling up the camera feature.

Amy cradled Allison closer to her chest and angled her up slightly, so that the camera would have a good view of her delicate features.

"Perfect," he said, as he snapped the photo. He sat back down on the bed and watched her as she watched Allison.

"Do you want to hold her?" Amy asked, realizing he had not done so yet.

"I'd love to, but are you sure you want to let go, yet? I don't want to take her away from you until you are ready. I can imagine how important these first moments are," he replied.

"Ben, she is ours. Not just mine. Besides, you are right beside me. It's not like you're going anywhere."

"No. I certainly am not," he replied with a smile. Amy gently handed Allison to Ben who cradled the sleeping baby girl in his arms. He was speechless for a moment. "I never could have imagined this moment like it is right now," Ben explained. "I mean, I did. I imagined what it would be like once she was finally with us, but it could not even compare to what it feels like to be holding her in my arms."

"Isn't it amazing?" Amy agreed with a smile.

"Absolutely," Ben said, grinning back.

The door opened, and Anne, George and Ashley came inside. Seeing this, Ben handed Allison back to Amy, kissed his bride-to-be on the cheek and left them to meet the new little life in private.

He shut the door behind himself and sat down on a bench just outside Amy's room. He set his phone down beside him and put his head in his hands. He was tired, and utterly overwhelmed with new experiences and emotions. He closed his eyes and breathed in a few times. He had to convince himself that this was all really finally coming to fruition. It was kind of surreal.

He picked up his phone again and browsed the gallery of pictures to find the one he had just snapped of Amy and Allison. He smiled as he looked at it, a moment captured forever in time. Amy looked so proud and happy to be holding Allison. It occurred to him that she hadn't mentioned Ricky at all tonight, not once. Ben had wondered how or if Ricky would come up. He was glad that Ricky had not come up though. Allison belonged to Ben and Amy; they both felt that way. Yet, something still nagged at Ben in the back of his mind.

Ben pulled up his text messaging screen and began to type:

_Her name is Allison Marie. She's beautiful and healthy. I thought at least you deserved this. After all, you are responsible for allowing me to find my best friend and the woman I love more than everything else in the world. I really do hope you find a way to be as happy as I am, someday. I'm gonna take really good care of them._

He attached the picture to the message, and selecting Ricky from his list of contacts, he pressed send.


	10. Allison

"Allison," Amy whispered, gently brushing a finger across her daughter's soft, tiny cheek. She stirred just a little, opening her eyes slightly as Amy lifted her carefully and faced the Boykewich house. Ben shut the car door and quickly came back to her side. "Welcome home," Amy added. She took a beat, looking at the house herself as a smile spread wide across her face.

Ben watched the smile come upon her and he smiled too, breathing in and thinking just how beautiful she was. Amy turned her head to him and caught his gaze. He pressed a kiss to her lips. "Are you ready?" he asked, knowing that the moment they stepped in the door would be the start of the rest of their lives.

"I am," she nodded. He placed his left hand on the small of her back and they walked up to the front door. He turned the knob and allowed her to go in ahead of him.

"Dad?" Ben called upon entering the house. There was no response. "That's funny; I thought he'd be here."

"He'll be back, Ben. He's probably still at work. The sausage business is hard work, as he's said more than a few times." Amy replied with a smile.

"Hold your horses, I'm here," Leo replied, lumbering into the room. "You think I'd miss the homecoming of my granddaughter? I think not." He patted Ben on the shoulder before focusing in on Amy and the baby. "How are you feeling, sweetheart? It all happened pretty suddenly. I'm sorry I couldn't be at the hospital. You know the pressures of running your own empire."

"I'm doing fine, Leo," Amy replied with a smile. "I understand, but there is someone I'd like to introduce you to. This is Allison Marie," Amy added proudly. Ben thought she had the most wonderful glow, the glow of a new mother.

"Allison Marie," Leo repeated. "It's a lovely name, Amy."

"We thought so," Amy replied.

"And you're both in good health?" Leo asked again, looking up from the face of the newborn baby.

"We are; happy and healthy."

"That's the best news I've heard in quite a while. She's finally here after all this time, huh? Come on in and I'll cook us some dinner! You're probably starved after eating hospital food."

--

That night, Amy hummed a lullaby that she remembered from her childhood as she changed Allison's diaper and put her in her pajamas. The infant squirmed a little but Amy managed to secure the snaps on the front of the sleeper.

Ben leaned his shoulder against the door frame and watched her. "You're really very good with her, Amy."

"She's not exactly hard to deal with, yet."

"Still," he replied, approaching her. "I'm proud of you for the way you are handling this. I know it's not your ideal situation," he said standing behind her, gently running his hands down her shoulders and arms.

"No, it's not," she said, still not facing him. She picked up Allison and he sensed that it was time to move back. Amy walked to the baby's crib and placed her gently in it. "It's not the ideal situation," she repeated, looking up at him. "But some really great things have come out of it. Like us," she said reaching for him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Neither of them said anything for a moment as they enjoyed the chance to be very close together again, something that the baby had prevented them from doing for some time now.

"I wouldn't trade this for anything," she whispered.

"You wouldn't undo it all? Save yourself nine months of pregnancy and the pain of delivery? You wouldn't erase Ricky and everything else that's happened as a result?"

He knew she'd shook her head when he felt her chin brush left to right across his shoulder. "As crazy as it sounds, I wouldn't," she replied. Lifting her head, their eyes met again. "Some bad things happened, but things wouldn't be the same between you and me, if I hadn't been pregnant in the first place. I'd still be a lonely, shy freshman at Grant High School, playing the French horn and spending every weekend alone, or if I was lucky, hanging out with Madison and Lauren. I had time alone in the hospital to think and I just can't imagine it. I don't want to. You mean too much to me, so does Allison."

He cupped her face in his hand and stroked it gently. He smiled. "It's been a long couple of days, let's go to bed," he replied, taking her hand. Amy snapped on the baby monitor with her free hand and the two walked down the hall to their room.

They climbed into bed and assumed the position which had become so natural to them, him on the left, and her on the right with his arm around her as she snuggled in close. For a long time they were silent.

"It feels weird to not be pregnant anymore," Amy exclaimed breaking the silence. "I got so used to it."

"It's weird for me, for you not to be pregnant anymore, considering that the entire time we've been together you've been pregnant. I can hold you differently now, without worrying about hurting her," Ben replied.

"You don't have to worry anymore," she confirmed. "You took care of us and now that she's here, the worry is over."

"Amy, the worry will never be over. I will still worry about both of you, because I love you both so much. But, yes. It's a different kind of worry. We made it through nine months together and now things are normal again. I'm just not used to normal, because it never was. I don't know quite how to navigate normal, but I'll get the hang of it. Practice makes perfect, or so they say."

"You're already perfect," she replied placing a kiss on his lips. She turned to her side and he turned with her, wrapping his arms tighter around her, just the way he knew she liked to be held. She quickly dropped off to sleep and he followed.

--

What felt like mere moments later, Amy awoke to the sound of Allison's cry in the monitor. She jumped and her movement woke Ben up. Amy got up and disappeared into the other room. Ben listened as the crying stopped. He rolled over and fell asleep again.

An hour later, after having fed Allison, Amy returned to bed to see Ben sound asleep sprawled out the other direction. She sighed and closed her eyes.

Two hours later, Amy awoke again and attended to her daughter's needs. Ben didn't stir this time.

And so it went on for the next several weeks, Amy attending to Allison's cries while most of the time, Ben didn't even wake up. He did every so often, kissing her on the cheek before she rose, but for the most part he just laid there.

--

"Good morning," Ben said, kissing her as he entered the kitchen. "You're up early."

"I just stayed up after Allison's 6 a.m. feeding," Amy snapped back.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the tension in her voice.

She inhaled deeply and rolled her eyes. "Yes," she replied.

"I'm taking Allison to my mom's today for a visit, and to finish up on some last minute wedding details." Amy replied, sitting down to feed Allison.

"Have a good time. It's my last week of regular class before finals week. I can't believe it's May already."

"Time flies when you've got a baby in the house," Amy replied a bit sarcastically.

"Love you. See you tonight," he replied, kissing her and Allison once more.

That evening, Ben and Amy had fallen asleep mid-conversation discussing wedding and honeymoon plans. Ben had heard about how much she'd been excited at Mimzy's suggestion of a honeymoon in Paris, so Ben had booked a flight to Paris and a week in a rather expensive hotel. Amy was overjoyed to hear this, but she was also exhausted.

At 1 am, Allison's shrill cry pierced through the veil of sleep which hung heavy over Amy that evening. She rolled over, fighting to open her eyes and gather the will to get up.

"Stay here," Ben whispered, touching her gently. "I'll take care of her." He kissed the crown on her head and left the room. Sleep took over her body once again.

Picking tiny Allison up, Ben rocked her gently from side to side and went downstairs to get a pre-made bottle from the fridge. He continued his soothing motions as he heated the bottle in the microwave and tested it on his wrist. He traversed the stairs and headed back into the nursery, sitting down in the rocking chair to feed her. She accepted the bottle from him and he smiled. Ben rocked back and forth in the chair as she consumed the contents of the bottle. He placed her on his shoulder attempting to burp her, and then cradled her in his arms again to lull her back to sleep.

"Do you want to hear a story, Allison? I'll tell you the story of how I met your mother," Ben began. "I was a lonely guy who wasn't exactly popular. I had this idea that sleeping with a girl would make me less of a loser, but it wouldn't have worked. It would have been wrong for me and it would have been using some poor girl. Thankfully, I met your mother and everything changed. The moment I saw her across the hallway, I knew she was special. I hadn't even spoken to her and I knew that I had to spend time with her. She was so beautiful. I was excited when she agreed to go with me to the dance and though we were both nervous we had a great time. She was so funny and sweet. From there on out, it was like nothing else but her mattered to me. Even when I found out she was pregnant with you, I never once questioned that I had to be with her – to watch out for her and you. I waited so long to meet you, Allison. You're beautiful just like your mother, do you know that?" He looked down and saw that Allison was asleep in his arms. He stood and placed her in her crib, tucking a few light blankets around her.

"That's the story, huh?" Amy's voice spoke softly behind him. "You never told me that."

"Yeah, it is. I told you to stay in bed. I can take care of Allison, too."

"So, it was all about sex to begin with?" she asked, smiling so that he knew she was not angry.

"I'm ashamed to admit that it was. I'm pretty sure it is for all guys until they grow up, meet the right girl and understand that there is more to life than sex. It became about so much more than that the instant I saw you though. It is easy to talk about someone you don't know, some girl from the band like an object, but when you come face to face, you see what a tremendous jerk you were for thinking that a beautiful, interesting girl could ever be treated as some sexual object."

"Ricky never saw me as anything more," she replied.

"That's because he's immature and he never loved you. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, and it's only grown stronger since. I'm sorry my motives were wrong, but I don't regret meeting you."

"I'm glad you don't, and I forgive you," she whispered, smiling back at him. He pulled her close and kissed her lips.

"I sent him the picture I took of you in the hospital. I figured he deserved at least that. I know you don't want him around, and I certainly don't want him around either, but it seemed like the decent thing to do. I hope you that it was okay."

She nodded. "I've made my peace with that situation. I'm glad he got to see her without me having to see him, though. I don't want him around. I want it to but just the three of us from now on. You're all I need."

Ben nodded in understanding. "That's what I want for us, too. If you need help taking care of her, let me know. I know I haven't been as helpful up to this point."

"I will," she replied. "I love you," she added.

"I love you. Let's go back to bed."


	11. Tonight, My Love

Amy stirred gently in that feeling between sleep and wake, nuzzling in closer to Ben's body. She was still a moment, awake but not quite, when the realization hit her and she opened her eyes with a gasp.

"What's wrong?" Ben flinched awake in response to her gasp.

"Nothing, Ben. Sorry to scare you. I just realized what day it was," she replied breathlessly. A wide smile spread across his face and he turned his head to the right to look at her. She was looking back at him.

"It's finally here," he replied. She nodded, as a smile lit up her face as well.

"I have to get up. I have to feed Allison and then I have to go to my Mom's to get ready; my hair, my dress, my makeup." She threw back the covers and jumped out of the bed, her nightgown bounced with her.

"Wait," Ben demanded. Amy looked back at him and he motioned for her to come back to the bed. She kneeled and crawled forward toward him on the bed. "This is your wedding day," he whispered. "Don't stress out. Don't worry about it. Even if things go wrong – which they will not – all that matters is that we love each other and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Amy Juergens."

She blushed. Ben had such a way with words. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he stopped her, pressing his hand to her lips. She looked puzzled.

"Tonight," he replied with a mischievous smile.

--

"It's really too bad Mimsy couldn't be here," Anne replied placing another pin in Amy's updo. "The travel would just have been too hard on her."

"I know. I would have liked her to be here, but I understand. It's being recorded. We'll for sure send her a DVD," Amy replied. Anne stopped to look at her work. Anne had pinned up Amy's hair in a loose but elegant bun. "It looks great, Mom."

"Really, it's okay?"

"Yes," Amy replied with certainty. Anne nodded and stepped back from daughter, looking at her in the mirror.

"Somehow, I didn't think this day would actually come," Anne said.

"Thanks, Mom. I'm glad you thought I'd be an old maid."

"No, honey, I don't mean that. I just mean, it's been a long time since you and Ben talked about this. It felt like a long time away, but now it's here."

Amy nodded. "I feel the same way. Life is going by so quickly. Allison is already two months old! I'm getting married, Mom," Amy replied with a quaver in her voice.

"Yeah, you are," Anne replied with a sigh. "My little baby girl is getting married."

"I'm more scared than I thought I would be. You'd think after having the baby, and having Ben by my side this whole time, this would be nothing. But somehow, this is something. I love Ben, Mom, but I'm scared."

"Oh, sweetie, is it that bad? Do you want to call off the wedding?"

"No, never. I just have the jitters. That's normal, right?"

"Yes, it is," Anne replied. "Shall we put on the dress?" Amy nodded.

--

"How is my boy doing?" Leo asked, entering Ben & Amy's room and patting his son on the back. Ben was slipping his right arm into the tuxedo jacket and fixing his tie. He looked up at his father in the mirror.

"I'm doing great, Dad," Ben responded with a smile.

"Are you really?" Leo asked, skeptical.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Ben replied, breaking eye contact with Leo.

"Why? Because, this is your wedding day, at sixteen you are making the most important – hopefully lifelong – commitment that you can ever make. No matter how much you love her, that's scary, son. I know it has to be."

"Were you afraid before you married Mom?" Ben asked turning around to face his father.

"You bet I was, but boy did I love her. It's normal to be afraid, son. Believe me, but don't let it get you down. You love Amy, right?"

"With all my heart," Ben replied.

"And you never want to be away from her?"

"Never," he replied again.

"Then that's all you need to know," Leo answered. "Don't be afraid. You're doing the right thing."

"Thanks, Dad," Ben smiled. Leo smiled and nodded.

"Your mother," Leo added, "she would have been very proud to see the man you've become. I hope somewhere up in heaven she can look down and see how well you turned out; how much you love and care for Amy and Allison."

Ben stared at his feet, saddened by the thought of his missing mother. How he wished she could be here with him right now, to smooth down his hair, tell him she loved him and meet Amy. For the most part, he'd made peace with his mother's death, but it was moments like this that were still painful.

"I have to believe she is," Ben replied, looking back up at his father. Leo smiled and embraced his son. "Thanks for everything, Dad. I love you."

--

Amy slipped into the strapless, cream colored floor length gown and beamed. The dress fit her like a glove. She adjusted it just slightly around the waist where the silver ribbon accented the curve of her body. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the heart pendant that he'd given her all those months ago. She clasped it around her neck and just stared in the mirror at herself. Falling a few inches above the bust line of the dress, slightly cold on her exposed skin, her right hand lingered on the pendant. Clutching the heart in her hand, she closed her eyes and breathed in heavily.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" she requested.

"It's your father," George replied as if it should have been obvious that it was him. She grinned and rushed to open the door.

"Daddy," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

"Oh," he exclaimed surprised. "Pumpkin, you haven't called me that for years," George smiled. "You look beautiful," he declared, pulling her back away from him as she did a little spin for him.

"Thank you," she blushed.

"That Ben fellow, he's a pretty lucky guy. My little girl, getting married today, I can't even believe it."

"I can barely believe it," she replied, inhaling deeply and reaching for a pair of silver hoops to put in her ears.

"Are you ready?" he asked. "We should probably get headed over."

"I just need to check on my bridesmaids, okay? I'll meet you and Mom downstairs," she said embracing him again.

Amy walked down the hall and knocked on Ashley's door.

"Come in!" Ashley replied. Amy opened the door wide to see her four bridesmaids finishing their preparations.

"You look wonderful," Ashley exclaimed. Amy was taken aback by such kind words from her sister.

"Don't wrinkle the dress," Amy laughed as she embraced her sister.

"Seriously, you look amazing," Ashley replied once more.

"Ashley's already said it, but Amy you really do look beautiful," Madison agreed.

"No kidding," Lauren replied with a wide-eyed smile.

Amy was glad that Madison and Lauren had finally come around. It had taken Ben confronting them for them to understand just how deeply he cared for Amy, and that he wasn't about to dump her like Ricky had. Once he had done that, Lauren had called Amy and apologized. They'd met the next day for dress fittings.

"Alice," Amy exclaimed. Alice had been quiet this whole time, hanging back. "Alice, your dress looks great on you, does it fit alright?" The light silver, nearly white dress looked great in contrast to Alice's dark hair.

"Yes, it does. Thank you for asking, but this is your day. You look fabulous, Amy."

"Thank you," Amy replied with a smile. "I feel good. It's nice to have my figure back, especially with a great dress like this. Is everyone ready?"

All the girls nodded.

"We're ready," Ashley replied. "Are you?"

Amy nodded and Ashley could tell she was being honest from the look in her eyes. It was very particular. Amy wasn't a good liar, but she didn't need to be. There was no need for lies anymore.

--

Amy arrived at the park to see how everything had been set up. Before her stood a massive canopy with whispy white sides which blew just slightly in the gentle breeze that was surrounding them. It was just beginning to get dark enough to see the glow of the candles on each of the guest tables. In the middle of each table was a small arrangement of pink and white tea roses. It was simple but elegant. Near the front of the tent was the white, flower covered arch under which they would say their vows.

Though they were not there at the moment, it was clear the band was set up. The hardwood dance floor had been laid, and the bustle of caterers assured Amy that the food, too, would be ready in time. It wasn't a large wedding, but it was what Amy wanted. Though everything was simple, Leo had spared no expense, assuring her that no amount was too much to spend on such an important day. He'd made sure the catering was done right, and she appreciated his contributions very much. Everything looked absolutely perfect.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, after observing the whole scene for a few moments.

"Couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day," George replied.

"You really couldn't have," Anne agreed with a smile.

"Is she doing alright?" Amy asked, attending to Allison a moment. She kissed her tiny cheek.

"She's doing just fine, Amy. Don't worry about us," Anne replied.

--

"Knock, knock," Ben said, not having a door on which to knock on the makeshift bridal tent.

"Ben, you know it's bad luck to see me before the wedding. You can't come in," Amy replied, still concealed behind the veil of white fabric.

"I know. I just wanted to hear your voice," Ben replied. "It's almost time. I can't wait." he added. It had grown darker.

"I know," she replied wistfully. She noticed that familiar feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

"I'll go see if I can find your Dad," Ben replied with a smile. He placed his hand up the curtain separating them. She pressed her hand to the outline of his and suddenly felt a sense of calm come over her. This wasn't scary; this was Ben – her Ben. The man she undoubtedly wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

"Thank you," she replied genuinely, opting to save "I love you" for the ceremony. She saw his shadow fade away into the distance, and it was a few moments later, replaced by that of her father.

"You ready to go, Amy?" George asked standing outside the tent as Ben had. Music began to play and Amy breathed deep, pushing the curtain out of the way. She linked her arm through her fathers.

--

Ben stood silently, waiting for Amy to arrive. He turned his attention to Henry only at the request of a tap on his shoulder.

"Don't forget to breath," Henry reminded him. Ben loosened up and smiled a little bit.

_Breathing is good_, he thought. He turned back to face front and there she was. "Wow," he gasped aloud. Henry elbowed him in the side playfully. To Ben, Amy had never looked so amazing. Her auburn hair done up, the cut on the dress on her body and the smile on her face as their eyes locked together. He wanted to run down the aisle and hold her in his arms, but he restrained himself as she slowly made her way down the aisle. When she finally reached him, George handed her off to him and took his place in the seats next to Anne, who was holding Allison.

As she placed her hand in his, he couldn't believe her soft and beautiful her skin felt, having purposely starved himself of her for this very moment; his heart raced.

She smiled at him and they took their place in front of the officiator. He now took her other hand in his and noticed how coy she was being. Her eyes barely met his for a moment, a smile penetrating her very heart.

"We are gathered here today to observe and celebrate the union of Amy Lynn Juergens and Benjamin Thomas Boykewich. Miss Juergens and Mr. Boykewich have chosen to write their own vows," he said, nodding at Amy to begin hers.

"Ben, I don't know where to begin other than, thank you. You came into my life at perhaps the most difficult moment, but I'm so glad you did. Sometimes I still can't comprehend how you stayed with me even after you found out about Allison, but I am thankful every day that you did. You were by my side every single second that I needed you from that moment on, which seems like so long ago. In a way, we needed each other, I think. You are truly wonderful, and even though we are young, I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you more than I could ever say."

Ben waited a moment and received the nod as well.

"You are perfect. My dear, sweet Amy, I love you so much. It sounds clichéd, but I mean it. From the moment I saw you, I knew. You are more amazing than I could ever imagine. I've never met a stronger woman, a more loving, kind woman or a more beautiful woman. Nothing could ever separate us now that we've taken on the biggest challenge a new relationship could face. I want you to know that when things get tough, you have to tell me. We'll work them through, because we're strong, Amy. You are and I am. Nothing is more important to me than you and Allison. I'm so glad that this day is finally here. That I can proclaim my love for you in front of all these people and finally begin the next chapter of our lives. I love you with all my heart."

"Do you, Benjamin, take Amy to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Ben replied with a smile, as she placed the wedding band on his finger.

"And, do you Amy; take Benjamin to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," she whispered, holding back tears.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Amy looked up at Ben and smiled widely. They had waited all day for this. Gently, but passionately, Ben took her face in his hands and kissed her lips; and though it wasn't, it felt as magical as like the first time they'd kissed.

"I love you, so much," Ben whispered, leaning her forehead against hers.

"Me too," Amy replied with a smile.

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Boykewich." Everyone clapped and cheered. "The couple has chosen to take their first dance at this time, so please join them over in the reception area. Thank you."

Amy grabbed Ben's hand excitedly and the couple proceeded down the aisle and over to the dance floor.

Ben pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around his as a delicate piano line began to play, followed by words:

_We were strangers, starting out on a journey/Never dreaming what we'd have to go through/Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing at the beginning with you_

Amy closed her eyes and smiled, sinking as deeply into Ben as was physically possible. A tear trickled down her face as she pictured the first time that they had danced like this, she had clung to him then as well; but this was a new beginning, she was no longer afraid and alone. This time she was on a journey for two.

--

Note: Thank you to all who are still reading. I still appreciate your reviews and thoughts. This feels like an ending, but I have at least one more chapter in me. Again, thank you.


	12. New Day

AN: I'm sorry it's been forever since the last chapter. I was super busy with school and every time I got a free moment to work on this, I was incredibly uninspired. However, thanks to the sneak preview clip that just came out a few days ago, I've managed to finish it. Enjoy and please review. I believe this will be the last chapter.

---

"Are you feeling okay, Amy? You can't be airsick, yet. We aren't even in the air," Ben asked placing his hand on top of hers. Amy closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, leaning back slightly in the airplane seat.

"I don't have a problem with flying, its take-off that bothers me. It's been the same since the first time I flew. I was eight and we took a family vacation to Disneyland. My dad thought I would like to look out the window as we took off, so he put me in the seat next to the window. Being young and curious, I watched out the window as the plane sped faster and faster and gradually left the ground. I got this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach and sometimes I throw up. It's never gone away, regardless of how many times I've flown since," she replied with her eyes still closed.

"Well, nothing to fear this time. We're already in the air," he replied with a smile. Amy opened one eye and peeked out the window. Indeed, she saw that they were already up in the clouds and she looked at Ben with a gigantic smile. "How did you do that? I don't even feel sick!"

"Amy, come on. Give me a little credit. I knew that if I could get you to tell me a story, I could distract you from thinking about or feeling take-off because you'd be too busy telling me the story. It's the same thing my dad used to do for me when I had to get shots," he answered.

"You're wonderful, you know that?" she asked.

"So are you, Mrs. Boykewich," he answered with a smile.

"I can't believe we're gonna be in Paris! Your dad was so sweet to pay our way to Paris. I'm so excited. I've always wanted to go," she exclaimed.

"I'm glad, but take a deep breath. We've got all night before we get there," Ben replied. "Why don't you try and get some sleep?" he added. "I think I'm going to."

"Good idea. We want to be rested so we can experience all that Paris has to offer," she grinned. "Goodnight, Ben," Amy replied leaning over to kiss him. He placed a few kisses on her lips and then laced his fingers through hers.

"Goodnight, Amy."

---

A gust of cool Parisian air swirled around the newlyweds as they strolled hand in hand through the streets of Paris. Amy pushed gently down on the stylish, red, beret like cap she'd purchased at one of the little boutiques.

"Look, Ben. It's the Eiffel Tower! I know it's cheesy, but I was looking forward to seeing this most of all," Amy exclaimed pulling his hand now.

"Slow down, sweetie. We'll get there," he laughed, jogging to keep pace with her. "Do you want to take a picture before we get there?"

"Yes," she replied, handing him the camera.

"Stand right there," he motioned for her to move to her right and snapped a photo.

"Now you," Amy replied trading places with him. She took a shot of him. "We need one together," she added looking around for someone to take their photo. She spotted an old man sitting on a bench feeding some pigeons. He looked kind and harmless, so she approached him and asked in her best French: "allez-vous prendre une photo de nous?"

The old man smiled up at the young lady. "Oui," he replied, took her camera and returned to the place where Ben was still standing. Ben put his arm around Amy's shoulder and they both smiled.

"Un…deux…trois," he said, and the camera flashed and snapped a picture of the pair.

"Merci beaucoup," Ben replied, taking the camera from the old man and trying his hand at a little French. He'd taken Spanish is school, but his accent wasn't too bad. Ben turned to Amy. "What do you say we go up top? It'll be dark soon and you'll be able to see the whole city lit up."

"I'd love to," Amy said with a grin. She stowed her camera and took Ben's hand again. By the time they walked to and got up to the top of the tower, it was dark as Ben had predicted.

Amy leaned against the railing and stared down at the pitch black night, dotted by millions of lights on the Trocadero. Ben stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Wow," she whispered. "It's even more beautiful than I pictured it would be. Paris is gorgeous at night."

"It really is. I'm glad you're happy," Ben whispered into her ear and placing a kiss on her cheek. They both closed their eyes and allowed themselves to enjoy the moment, the atmosphere, the location, and Ben wrapped his arms tighter around his beautiful wife.

---

Ben swiped the key card and the room door opened. It was a quite nicely sized room with a queen sized bed situated in the middle.

"Quite the day," Ben replied, yawning and removing his shoes as he sat down on the bed.

"It was lovely," Amy replied, still enchanted by all she'd seen and done.

"And we still have three more days," Ben added with a smile. Amy unzipped her luggage and rummaged through it, looking for something.

"I'll be back," she whispered, entering the bathroom and closing the door. A few moments later, she emerged wearing a simple, lacy black nightgown. Ben looked up as she opened the door, but wasn't sure what to say. She walked over to him, put one knee up on the bed and crawled over next to him.

"Hi," she whispered, moving herself very close to him.

"Hi," he responded, unable to think of other words at the moment. She closed the space between their lips in a passionate kiss, placing her hand on the back of Ben's hand and running her hand through his hair. Ben responded, kissing back. Amy leaned back, gradually lying down and she pulled him with her.

She reached for the bottom of his t-shirt, to pull it up and over his head. Freed from his shirt, Ben stopped, realizing the seriousness of what was about to happen. "Wait," he pleaded. "Amy, are you sure?" Ben asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Ben. It's finally right. Tonight was the most amazing night. There are no more obstacles, no more issues, and no more pregnancy. We're here in this beautiful place. I'm here with you. I've never wanted anything more," she allowed her words to trail off.

He'd be lying if he denied his desire to have sex with her. He'd wanted it long ago, but now his motivation was different. So much had changed over the year that they had been together. With their marriage official, there was nothing standing in their way. Ben loved Amy and he wanted to make her feel that, to cover up all the bad memories, all the bad associations with good ones.

"What are you thinking about, Ben?" Amy asked as he had not responded to her.

"How perfect this is. How perfect you are. And, how special I want this to be," he replied.

"How could it be anything else? You worry too much," she replied with a smile. "Being with you is always special. Always."

A wide smile spread across Ben's face and methodically, almost painfully slowly, he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, allowing his hand to lazily drag down, feeling the definition of her jawbone. "You're perfect," he whispered. Amy closed her eyes, allowing the sensations to take over. He felt her breathe in deeply as he brought his lips to hers and she parted hers just slightly in response. He kissed down the right side of her neck and she let out an audible gasp as he reached her collarbone.

"I promise I'll be gentle, Amy. I love you, Amy," Ben whispered in her ear, causing a shiver to ripple down her body. He pulled back gently to see her face. "Promise you'll tell me what you need," he added. She inhaled again and slowly opened her eyelids.

"Yes," she whispered, her eyes locking with his in agreement. She closed her eyes again, reached up, put her hand behind his head and pulled his face towards hers, pressing her lips roughly to his.

He pulled her in close to him until there was no distinguishing between bodies. They felt and moved and breathed as one.

It wasn't about sex; it was about taking that final step together. It was an exploration, a chance to fully experience the other, to show the other their true depth of caring. Entirely captivated by new sensations and by her amazing husband, Amy thought of Ben, and only Ben.

Truly, it was about love.

Ben held Amy in his arms all night, until the bright Parisian sun came streaming through their translucent muslin curtains, inviting them to greet the new day together.


End file.
